Sundubu Jjigae

Method

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1. Heat the neutral oil in a stone pot (ttukbaegi) or small heavy saucepan over medium heat.

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2. Add the pork and fry 4 minutes until the fat has rendered and the edges are browned.

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3. Add the onion and garlic for 2 minutes, then the kimchi for 3 minutes until it softens and smells sour.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

4. Turn the heat to low and add the gochugaru and sesame oil. Stir for 60 seconds until the oil turns deep red — do not let the chilli burn.

   Mark done Start 60 sec timer

5. Stir in the gochujang, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar.

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6. Add the stock and the kimchi brine and bring to a rolling boil.

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7. Spoon the silken tofu into the pot in large curds, breaking it only roughly with the spoon. Do not stir it in.

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8. Boil hard for 4 minutes, spooning broth over the tofu, until everything is very hot and the broth has reduced slightly.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

9. Scatter with spring onions, crack the eggs onto the surface, and carry the pot to the table still bubbling. The egg cooks in the residual heat as you eat.

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Chef’s Tips

• Bloom the chilli flakes in oil. Every good Korean stew starts this way.
• Do not stir the tofu apart. Large soft curds are the point of sundubu.
• A stone ttukbaegi is worth owning — it holds heat for a remarkably long time.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A bowl of short-grain rice
• Kimchi and simple banchan
• Soju or a cold beer

Storage & Reheating

Best made and eaten immediately. It keeps 2 days refrigerated but the tofu collapses on reheating.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.