This Sundubu Jjigae 순두부 찌개 (which literally translates to ‘soft tofu stew’) is one of my favourite Korean dishes.
순두부 – sundubu ( gentle = 순, tofu 두부 )
찌개 – jjigae ( stew )
Put it together and you have 순두부찌개 sundubu jjigae !
It has a light however in truth rich and flavorful basis with a kick of spice from gochugaru .
I ’ ve made this countless times at home and it ’ s a syndicate favorite !
This is then comforting and perfective for affectionate and hearty meals with a bowl of steamed short grain rice and some banchan ( or side dishes ) like kimchi and kongnamul .
Watch the recipe video below where I made this using a even pot !
What is Sundubu Jjigae?
korean cuisine has respective types of jjigae or fret. This one is a sundubu jjigae 순두부찌개, which literally translates to easy bean curd ( 두 sun = cushy, 두부 dubu = bean curd ) stew ( 찌개 jjigae ). Its broth gets its distinct orange/red hue from the practice of gochugaru or korean bolshevik pepper flakes/powder. It ’ sulfur very orange/red but is actually not that blue since gochugaru is mild in terms of spiciness but is very bright red in color. It besides has a insidious sweetness eminence .
What makes sundubu jjigae is of course the use of sundubu or soft bean curd .
I grew up enjoying this and is normally made with some kernel like small pieces or beef and/or seafood like squid and clam. But when I went vegan I of course wanted to make a vegan version of it .
thus for this vegan version, I use a diverseness of mushrooms, that besides give the floor a nice umami relish. I besides find that king huitre mushrooms have a like texture to squid, which goes perfect with this jjigae .
I ’ m very happy with how this turned out and my non-vegan family is, besides !
The sundubu or voiced bean curd gives this that silky texture and the mushrooms truly add to the texture, most particularly the enoki mushrooms that have this stringy texture that I very love .
You ’ ll besides need a few basic ingredients and of course some soft bean curd ! Mine comes in a tube but it ’ randomness besides available in blocks that you can purchase in supermarkets or asian groceries.
Prepare the broth
I like to cut through the kombu using a pair of scissors. I like to fold mine in half and cut about five 1 ” ( 2.5 curium ) cuts on each side. besides, do NOT wash your kombu. The white powdered layer on the kombu is naturally occurring and is what adds to the umami spirit when soaked .
I like to soak mine in board temperature body of water and leave it in the electric refrigerator nightlong for best relish .
This will yield about 3 cups of broth since the dried mushrooms and kombu will absorb some urine .
OPTIONAL: Vegan kimchi!
Adding some kimchi gives this dish an supernumerary level of season. You ’ ll basically end up with a kimchi sundubu jjigae ( kimchi and easy tofu stew ) .
You can find my homemade vegan kimchi recipe hera .
COOKING THE JJIGAE
I love to use my ttukbaegi but you can use a regular pot. I good love to use this pot because it retains hotness very well. sol tied after I turn off the displace, the jjigae is normally still boiling !
For this jjigae, I used a ttukbaegi or korean earthenware/ceramic bowl. This bowl retains hotness very well so even after turning off the heat, it ’ south hush boiling .
And it can be used direct over outdoors fire .
I made this in a even pot excessively ( see my video ) but in truth prefer cook and enjoying it from a korean ttukbaegi because the bowl retains estrus so well and I can cook and serve this jjigae in It .
You ’ ll find the broad recipe for this Korean vegan sundubu jjigae below .
You can besides enjoy this with some banchan or even Kimchi Pancakes ( recipe here ) for a super hearty meal ! ????
You can also check out my other Korean vegan recipes:
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes?
Get a copy of my upcoming cookbook, Vegan Asian!
If you crave vegan-friendly versions of authoritative asian dishes, this cookbook is packed with Southeast and East asian dishes inspired by those I grew up enjoying at home plate and those I ’ ve tried from my travels. From iconic Thai dishes to piping-hot japanese fare and everything in between, the recipes in this will take your palate on a delicious food trip across Asia, and hopefully keep you coming back for more !
If you make this recipe, please tag me on my Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag # thefoodietakesflight ????
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