Sundubu Jjigae (Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Stew)

About This Recipe

Sundubu jjigae is one of Korea's most beloved everyday stews — a fiery red, gently bubbling pot of impossibly soft silken tofu in a broth built from anchovy-kelp dashi, fermented kimchi, gochugaru chilli flakes and a splash of doenjang fermented soybean paste. The genius of the dish is the contrast: the tofu is so soft it almost dissolves on the spoon, yet the broth around it is bold, smoky and savory enough to wake up the whole table. Traditionally served in a ttukbaegi — a small unglazed earthenware pot that holds heat fiercely — sundubu arrives at the table still actively boiling, with a raw egg cracked on top that diners stir in for richness and to mellow the heat. It is the Korean answer to a cold day, a hangover, or simply a need for comfort, and it is found on every Korean diner menu from Seoul to Los Angeles' Koreatown. Variations are endless: seafood sundubu (with clams, shrimp and squid), pork sundubu (with sliced belly), kimchi sundubu (extra fermented), and even pure vegetable versions. What never changes is the silken tofu — never firm, never extra-firm — and the technique of frying the chilli flakes hard in oil to bloom their color and aroma before the broth goes in.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 1 tube (350 g)silken/soft Korean tofu (sundubu in a plastic tube)
• 100 gwell-fermented kimchi, chopped, plus 2 tbsp of its juice
• 100 gpork belly OR a mix of clams, shrimp and squid
• 2 tbspgochugaru (Korean chilli flakes, coarse)
• 1 tbsptoasted sesame oil
• 1 tbspneutral oil
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1 tspdoenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
• 400 mlanchovy-kelp dashi (or 400 ml water + ½ tsp dashida)
• 2scallions, sliced (whites and greens separated)
• 1egg, very fresh
• 1 tspfish sauce or soy sauce, to taste
• steamed short-grain rice, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dashi

   If you don't have it ready, simmer 6 dried anchovies (heads and guts removed) and a 5 cm square of dried kelp in 500 ml water for 8 minutes. Strain. This is the umami foundation; do not skip it — using plain water gives a flat, one-note stew.

2. 2

   Bloom the chilli

   In a ttukbaegi or small heavy saucepan, heat both oils over medium. Add the garlic and white parts of the scallion, fry 60 seconds, then add the gochugaru and stir 30 seconds — it should sizzle and turn the oil deep red, but watch carefully because chilli flakes burn fast. This is the chilli oil base that colors and flavors the whole stew.

3. 3

   Add kimchi and protein

   Add the chopped kimchi and pork belly (or seafood, but add seafood later — see step 5) and stir-fry 3–4 minutes until the kimchi caramelizes at the edges and the pork has rendered some fat. The smell should turn rich and slightly sweet — this is the second flavor layer.

4. 4

   Build the broth

   Stir in the doenjang and break it up so it dissolves. Pour in the dashi and kimchi juice, bring to a hard simmer, and let it bubble 3 minutes to marry the flavors. Taste and adjust with a teaspoon of fish sauce or soy if needed.

5. 5

   Add seafood (if using)

   If using clams, shrimp and squid instead of pork, add them now — clams first (they take 4 minutes to open), then shrimp and squid in the last 90 seconds. Discard any clams that don't open.

6. 6

   Slide in the tofu

   Slice open the silken tofu tube and squeeze it directly into the bubbling stew in large rough chunks — don't try to dice it neatly; the rustic, broken texture is correct. Let it heat through 2–3 minutes, gently spooning broth over the top.

7. 7

   Crack the egg and serve

   Take the pot off the heat. Crack the raw egg directly onto the surface — the residual bubbling heat will softly poach it. Scatter the green scallions on top and bring the pot straight to the table while it's still actively boiling. Serve with a bowl of hot rice on the side, and stir the egg into your own portion as you eat.

Variations

• •

  Haemul sundubu: skip pork entirely; use clams, shrimp, squid and a small handful of mussels. The seafood lifts the broth.

• •

  Vegan sundubu: skip pork/seafood and egg, double the kimchi, use kombu-shiitake dashi, and add a sliced shiitake or two.

• •

  Cheese sundubu: scatter shredded mozzarella over the top in the last minute — a recent K-pop diner trend, surprisingly delicious.

• •

  Doenjang-heavy version: double the soybean paste and skip the gochugaru for a milder, earthier stew (essentially a doenjang jjigae with silken tofu).

Storage

Best eaten immediately — silken tofu does not survive reheating well. If you must refrigerate, store up to 2 days in a sealed container; reheat gently in a saucepan with a splash of water. Do not freeze.

Frequently Asked Questions