Sundubu Jjigae Recipes

KIMCHI SOONDUBU JJIGAE

Steps:

• Cut the meat and kimchi into small thin strips. Add the kimchi, meat, red chili pepper flakes, garlic and sesame oil to a small pot, and place it over medium heat.
• Stir-fry until the meat is almost cooked, 3 - 4 minutes.
• Pour in water (or broth) and the juice from the kimchi. Bring it to a boil, and continue to boil for 3 - 4 minutes. Skim off the scum.
• Add the soft tofu in big chunks. Stir in the salted shrimp or salt to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon) and black pepper. Cook for 4 -5 minutes. Add the chopped scallion just before removing the pot from the heat. If desired, crack an egg into the stew to serve while it's still boiling hot.

SUNDUBU JJIGAE

Steps:

• 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.

KIMCHI SOONDUBU JJIGAE

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, combine kelp and 6 cups of water, and bring to a simmer over high. Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Discard or reserve kelp for another use. Transfer broth to a large bowl and reserve.
• In the empty Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, 3 minutes. Add scallions, garlic, gochugaru and remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and cook, stirring, until well combined and very fragrant, 1 minute. Add kimchi and cook, stirring, until the bottom of pot looks dry, about 2 minutes. Add reserved kelp broth, kimchi juice, soy sauce and zucchini, and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until zucchini and kimchi are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in tofu and cook until warmed through, 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• If using eggs, crack them into the pot, leaving some space in between each egg. Cover and poach over medium-low until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
• Divide jjigae between 4 bowls and garnish each with scallions. Serve hot with rice on the side.

WHITE SOONDUBU JJIGAE (MILD TOFU STEW)

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, combine kelp, radish, dried shiitakes and 5 cups of water, and bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer kelp and mushrooms to a cutting board, and transfer broth with radish pieces to a bowl and reserve. Chop kelp into 1-inch pieces, very thinly slice the mushrooms and add both to reserved broth.
• In the empty Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Add all but ¼ cup of the scallions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Add garlic, sesame seeds and ginger, and stir until well combined and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add the reserved broth and vegetables, the zucchini and soy sauce, and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini and radish are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in tofu and sesame oil, and cook until tofu is warmed through, 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide jjigae in 4 bowls and garnish each with some of the reserved scallions. Serve hot with rice on the side.

KOREAN SEAFOOD TOFU SOUP (SOONDUBU JJIGAE)

Steps:

• Bring chicken stock, kelp, and dried anchovies to a boil in a large pot. Cover and cook over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Strain broth, discarding kelp and anchovies.
• Cook pork belly in a large pot over medium heat until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; reserve drippings in the pot. Add red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sizzling, about 30 seconds. Return pork belly to the pot. Add strained broth, zucchini, onion, kimchi, serrano chile peppers, ginger, fish sauce, and sugar. Cover and simmer soup until flavors combine, about 15 minutes.
• Stir tofu, shrimp, mussels, clams, mushrooms, and garlic into soup. Simmer until mussels and clams have opened, about 5 minutes.
• Break tofu gently into chunks. Ladle boiling soup into serving bowls and crack an egg into each. Garnish with green onions.