Authentic Sundubu Jjigae Recipe South Korea, Asia
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Subtle and spicy at the same time, sundubu jjigae is a popular Korean stew which is widely enjoyed both in restaurants and as a home-cooked meal. Its preparation begins with making a stock. Typically, anchovy stock is used, but beef, clam, or kelp stocks are also a common option. The stock is seasoned with chili powder or flakes, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic, cooking wine, and sesame oil and brought to a boil. If sundubu jjigae is made with beef, small chunks of meat are sautéed separately, and then the stock is added, but if the recipe contains seafood, it is added straight into the boiling stock. All the ingredients, including vegetables and mushrooms, are cooked shortly, so they keep their color and texture. Soft tofu and eggs — whisked or whole — are added at the very end, and the dish is garnished with sliced red and green peppers and green onions. Traditionally, this dish is cooked and served in the same earthenware pot it was cooked in, called ttukbaegi... Read more
Cooking tips
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soft tofu
Sundubu or soft tofu has a texture similar to jelly and breaks off easily with a spoon. Since it has a mild, milky flavor it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Korean soft tofu, or sundubu, usually comes in two variants: packaged in a long plastic bag in the shape of a cylinder, or in a regular plastic container. Since it doesn’t require cooking, sundubu is usually added at the very end ... Read more -
meat and seafood
The most common meat included in sundubu jjigae recipes is beef, usually prime cuts with less fat and a softer texture, such as rib eye, sirloin, pork loin or pork belly. The seafood usually includes shrimps, clams, and squid; and it is not uncommon to come across recipes which include both. -
eggs
Eggs are added to sundubu jjigae at the very end of cooking. The eggs can first be whisked and added into the stew little by little, so thin shreds are formed, or they can simply be cracked straight into the cooking pot and simmered shorly before serving. -
seasonings
Sundubu jjigae owes its spiciness to hot chili pepper flakes or powder, which can be mixed with oil into a paste, sautéed, or added to stock. Other seasonings include soy sauce, cooking wine, garlic, black pepper, and fish sauce. Also, salted shrimp can be used as a seasoning instead of salt. -
stock
Beef, kelp, or anchovy stock are the most common choices for sundubu jjigae. To make kelp stock, simply boil 30 g kelp in 2 liters of water for 5 minutes and strain. Beef stock is made by boiling beef brisket, leek, onion, radish, ginger, and garlic in water. If you make anchovy stock from scratch, make sure to remove the intestines from the anchovies since they tend to taste bitter, and then boil ... Read more -
vegetables
Tender vegetables such as scallions, spring onions, and zucchini are cooked briefly to prevent them from falling apart. Sundubu jjigae often includes various kinds of mushrooms such as shiitake, enoki and shimeji mushrooms. Another widespread addition to this dish is kimchi, seasoned fermented vegetables which are very popular in Korean cuisine. -
ttukbaegi
Traditionally, sundubu jjigae is cooked in ttukbaegi, earthenware pots used for cooking and serving various Korean stews. Since the stone preserves the heat, the dish remains hot during the entire meal. If earthenware cooking pots are unavailable, try serving sundubu jjigae in warm earthenware bowls.
Recipe variations
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Beef and Seafood Sundubu Jjigae
Ready in 50minThe following recipe combines pork and seafood with soft tofu for a slightly heartier version of this popular dish. The recipe is adapted from the website of Emily Kim, also Maangchi, a South Korean-born American YouTuber and author that The New York Times has proclaimed "YouTube's Korean Julia Child."
Classic Sundubu Jjigae
PREP 10min
COOK 15min
READY IN 25min
This recipe was adapted from the website visitkorea.or.kr, the official website of the Korea Tourism Organisation, and describes how to make sundubu jjigae with seafood, tofu, and whisked egg.
Ingredients
Classic Sundubu Jjigae
1/2 pack soft tofu
60 g clams
50 g squid
50 g cocktail shrimp
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
20 g leek
1 egg
SEASONING
400 ml clam or beef stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Korean chili powder
1 tsp hot chili oil
1 tsp cooking wine
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 pinch black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp sesame oil
Preparation
Classic Sundubu Jjigae
First, slice soft tofu into 5-cm pieces. Clean and drain clams and shrimps. Clean the squid and cut it into 2-cm wide pieces.
Wash leeks, red and green pepper and cut them diagonally into 1-cm wide pieces.
Make the seasoning by combining beef or clam stock with hot chili oil, black pepper, crushed garlic, soy sauce, Korean chili powder, cooking wine, and sesame oil.
Place the seasoning into a steep pot and bring to a boil. Add clams, squid, and cocktail shrimps and cook over high heat.
Whisk the egg with leeks in a small bowl, then add them to the cooking pot, stirring constantly.
At the end of cooking, add tofu and sesame oil.
Season with green and red peppers and serve hot.
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