Sundubu Jjigae (Korean Tofu Stew)
Servings: two generous portions
A year ago, my sisters introduced me to a place in Toronto’s Koreatown which sells only one item. Various toppings (seafood, meat, vegetarian) are possible but the shop sells only sundubu, the Korean tofu stew (pictured on the right). Served with steamed, chewy, sticky rice, it was such a cheap thrill.
I was keen to replicate this dish using the recipe from Feast of Flavours from the Korean Kitchen.
This recipe is somewhat simpler and I’ve made it even simpler by eliminating a few steps to suit my lack of stone pots (I used the chinese claypots instead). I’ve seen others which call for the use of Korean anchovy stock. However, for me, the key is in the proper amount of water for the tofu and the eggs to dissolve in, resulting in thick and comforting stew.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp red chili oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp light soy sauce
250 ml beef stock
30 g kimchi, chopped (approx. 4 leaves)
50 g meat (whole prawn, sliced firm fish, cubed luncheon meat, thinly sliced pork, beef, or chicken. Anything)
300 g of silken tofu, cubed or sliced into rounds.
2 eggs
Oil for sauteing
Spring onion for garnish
Directions:
Heat oil in a pan. Add the chili oil, chili powder, garlic and onion. Saute until fragrant and soft.
Mix the light soy sauce with the beef stock. Set aside.
Arrange the chopped kimchi in the claypot, Top with the meat and tofu. Pour the beef stock mixture and add in the fried stuff. Ensure that the ingredients are 3/4 covered with the stock.
Put in a cold oven (otherwise, the claypot may crack) and bake for 20 minutes at 250 degrees Celsius or until the stew simmers or the meat is cooked.
When done, crack the eggs on top and scatter the scallion. Serve piping hot.
