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Sundubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew)

If you've ever sat in a Korean restaurant and watched a little stone pot arrive at the table still bubbling away furiously, chances are it was sundubu jjigae. This soft tofu stew is pure comfort in a bowl, with spoonfuls of silky uncurdled tofu swimming in a rich, spicy red broth.

The magic is in the contrast. The broth packs real heat and depth from gochugaru and garlic, while the soft tofu is delicate and almost custard-like. Crack an egg in at the end and let it poach gently in the residual heat, and you've got something genuinely special.

The good news is it's dead easy at home. Once your ingredients are prepped, the whole thing comes together in about 15 minutes on the stove, making it a brilliant weeknight dinner with a bowl of steamed rice.

Servings
2
Prep Time
15
mins
Cook Time
15
mins
Ingredients
15
Total Time
30
mins

Pantry bits

  • Heavy-based pot or Korean stone pot (ttukbaegi)
  • Sharp knife and chopping board
  • Wooden spoon
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

  • 2 packets (600g) silken or soft tofu (sundubu if you can find it)
  • 150g pork mince
  • 8 raw prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 small brown onion, diced
  • 100g kimchi, roughly chopped
  • 3 cups (750ml) chicken stock or anchovy stock
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 spring onions, sliced
  • 1 zucchini, diced (optional but traditional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a heavy-based pot or Korean stone pot (ttukbaegi) over medium heat. Add the pork mince and cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown.
  2. Add the onion, garlic and kimchi and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant and softened.
  3. Stir in the gochugaru and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. It should turn the oil a deep red colour.
  4. Pour in the stock, then add the fish sauce, soy sauce and zucchini. Bring to a rolling boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
  5. Gently spoon in the soft tofu in large chunks, breaking it up only slightly. Don't stir too hard or you'll lose that lovely silky texture.
  6. Add the prawns and simmer for 2-3 minutes until they turn pink and are just cooked through.
  7. Crack the eggs into the bubbling stew, turn off the heat and cover for 1-2 minutes so the eggs poach gently.
  8. Scatter over the spring onions and serve immediately, still bubbling, with steamed rice on the side.

Other recipes

Nasi Kuning (Indonesian Yellow Rice)
Opor Ayam (Chicken in Coconut Curry)
Martabak Telur (Savoury Stuffed Pancake)

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