The Best Korean Food Recipe: Easy Sundubu-jjigae Soft Tofu Stew with a Secret Golden Ratio ✨

Craving a Warm Broth? The No-Fail Sundubu-jjigae Soft Tofu Stew Golden Ratio Recipe ✨

Hello everyone! I'm back with more delicious news as a pro home cook. 😊 Lately, the weather has been getting quite chilly in the mornings and evenings, hasn't it? When it's like this, I naturally crave a warm, spicy, and savory broth. In fact, when my friends came over yesterday, I wondered what to serve them and decided to whip up some Sundubu-jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew) with ingredients I had in the fridge!

Actually, while Soft Tofu Stew seems easy, it can be surprisingly tricky to get that deep flavor. For those of you who have wondered, "Why doesn't mine taste like the restaurant version?", just trust me and follow today's post! I’m going to share the golden ratio secret I found after dozens of trials and errors. This is the exact recipe that made my friends give me a double thumbs up and ask, "Did you really make this? It’s amazingly delicious!" Let's get started! 🍲

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 2)

The core of a delicious Sundubu-jjigae recipe is the harmony between fresh ingredients and the seasoning. You can definitely use what you have at home, but try to hit these key points!

• Essential Ingredients: 1 tube of soft tofu (350g~400g), 100g ground pork (cuts with a bit of fat are better!), 1/4 onion, 1/2 stalk of green onion, 1 egg, 200ml water (or anchovy broth)
• Seasoning Ingredients: 2 tablespoons cooking oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean chili powder), 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 0.3 tablespoons sugar (the secret to umami!), a pinch of salt and pepper
• Optional Ingredients (Makes it much tastier!): 1 bag of manila clams, a bit of zucchini, 1 spicy green chili pepper, 1 shiitake mushroom

💡 Cooking Tip! Ground pork allows the meat flavor to seep into the broth perfectly. If you love seafood, you can use plenty of manila clams instead of pork for a refreshing taste. Also, the water amount might seem small, but since soft tofu releases a lot of moisture, using less water than you think is the key point!

👩‍🍳 Cooking Process: The 5-Step Golden Ratio

Now, shall we make the ultimate home-cooked meal, Sundubu-jjigae? If you get the heat control right, you're already halfway to success!

Step 1. Sautéing Green Onion Oil and Onion

First, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to a pot (or stone pot) and add chopped green onions and minced onion. This is the process of gently sautéing over medium heat to create fragrant green onion oil. Sautéing until the onions are translucent brings out a subtle sweetness in the broth, giving it a much more sophisticated flavor.

Step 2. Sautéing Pork to Infuse Meat Flavor

When the aroma of the green onion oil rises, add the ground pork and sauté. It’s important to break up the meat with a spatula so it doesn't clump! Sautéing sufficiently until the surface of the meat turns white will significantly enhance the flavor of the broth.

Step 3. Making Chili Oil (The Most Important Step! 🔥)

Turn the heat down very low or turn it off briefly. Add 2 tablespoons of gochugaru and stir it into the meat oil. Chili powder burns very quickly, so you must do this over low heat! Watching carefully so it doesn't burn, once the chili oil becomes a deep red, add the minced garlic and soy sauce and sauté together. This process is the decisive secret to getting that restaurant taste!

Step 4. Pouring Water and Simmering

Now, pour in 200ml of water (or broth) and turn the heat up to high. Once the broth starts to boil, add your prepared vegetables like zucchini and mushrooms first. If you have manila clams, add them now as well. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until the broth is richly infused.

Step 5. Adding Soft Tofu and Final Seasoning

Finally, the star of the show: the soft tofu! Add the soft tofu in large chunks and then use a spoon to gently divide it into 3-4 pieces. Breaking it too finely can make the stew look messy. Lastly, add the spicy green chili, adjust the saltiness with salt if needed, and just before turning off the heat, crack 1 egg on top to finish!

✨ Plating & Delicious Eating Tips

Sprinkling some chopped chives or a dash of black pepper over the Sundubu-jjigae served in a stone pot makes the presentation perfect. If you break the egg yolk into the hot broth and mix it with the soft tofu over rice... you really won't need any other side dishes! 😋

For side dishes that pair well, I recommend crispy roasted seaweed or Korean egg rolls (Gyeran-mari). They boast a fantastic harmony while neutralizing the spiciness of the stew. Accompanied by a glass of cold barley tea, it will be the perfect dinner.