Sundubu Jjigae

Name: Sundubu Jjigae
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Korea
Ingredients: 400 g sundubu (Korean uncurdled soft tofu, in tube packaging), or silken tofu as substitute; 150 g small clams, scrubbed (or use 100 g small peeled prawns); 2 eggs, at room temperature; 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean dried chilli powder); 1 tbsp sesame oil; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 0.5 tsp gochujang (Korean fermented chilli paste), optional for added depth; 400 ml myeolchi-dasima stock (Korean anchovy and kelp stock, see miso-soup notes for dashi alternative); 1 tbsp soy sauce (ganjang); 0.5 tsp fine salt, or to taste; 1 spring onion, cut into 3 cm lengths, to garnish

Korean soft tofu stew: a scarlet, gochugaru-fired broth with uncurdled silken tofu, clams, and egg, served in a stone pot so hot the surface is still bubbling when it reaches the table

Origin: Korea

From the journey of Soy.

Sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개, 'soft tofu stew') is named for its defining ingredient: sundubu (순두부, 'pure soft tofu'), a form of tofu that has been coagulated but not pressed, remaining as a loose, custard-soft, barely-set curd. This softest form of tofu, more liquid than solid, dissolves on the tongue into pure soy milk flavour, and it is this extraordinary texture — simultaneously liquid and solid, slipping and holding — that makes sundubu jjigae fundamentally different from any other tofu stew. The scarlet gochugaru-based broth provides the heat, colour, and depth that frames this textural delicacy. The dish belongs to the Korean genre of jjigae (찌개), the class of bubbling, vigorous stews that are the heated heart of the Korean meal. Sundubu jjigae is specifically associated with an origin in the Honam region (South Jeolla province) of southwest Korea, where the soft tofu tradition is oldest and where the seafood-rich coastline provided the natural combination of clams and fresh tofu. Its modern form, with the characteristic stone pot (dolsot), the raw egg cracked in at the table, and the fluorescent scarlet broth from gochugaru-seasoned sesame oil base, was systematised in 20th-century Korean restaurant culture and spread globally through the Korean diaspora. The egg cracked into the bubbling jjigae at the table is both practical and theatrical: the residual heat of the stone pot sets the white whilst leaving the yolk soft, adding a silky richness to the broth. The seafood (clams, prawns, or baby octopus) adds an oceanic sweetness that cuts the chilli's heat. Sundubu jjigae is, in the estimation of many Koreans, the most satisfying meal available in cold weather: the stone pot retains enough heat to keep the stew bubbling through an entire leisurely meal.

Ingredients

Tofu

400 g sundubu (Korean uncurdled soft tofu, in tube packaging), or silken tofu as substitute

Seafood

150 g small clams, scrubbed (or use 100 g small peeled prawns)

Eggs

2 eggs, at room temperature

Spice base

2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean dried chilli powder)
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
0.5 tsp gochujang (Korean fermented chilli paste), optional for added depth

Stock

400 ml myeolchi-dasima stock (Korean anchovy and kelp stock, see miso-soup notes for dashi alternative)

Seasoning

1 tbsp soy sauce (ganjang)
0.5 tsp fine salt, or to taste

Garnish

1 spring onion, cut into 3 cm lengths, to garnish

Method

Heat the sesame oil in a dolsot (Korean stone pot) or a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the gochugaru and garlic. Stir for 30–60 seconds until the gochugaru blooms in the oil and turns a deeper scarlet, releasing its colour and fragrance. Add gochujang if using and stir for another 30 seconds.
Add the stock to the pot. Bring to a vigorous boil. Season with soy sauce and taste for salt.
Add the clams (or prawns). If using clams, cook for 2–3 minutes until they open; discard any that do not open. If using prawns, cook for 1–2 minutes until just pink.
Spoon the sundubu directly from its tube packaging into the broth in large, irregular spoonfuls: do not attempt to cut it into neat pieces. The irregular, jagged edges of the spooned curd are traditional and create a better texture in the finished dish. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, spooning the hot broth over the tofu gently.
Crack one raw egg directly into the centre of each serving pot (if using dolsot) or into the shared pot just before ladling into bowls. The residual heat will partially set the egg. For individual dolsot: carry the pot to the table, crack the egg at the table, and allow the stone pot's heat to continue cooking the egg.
Scatter spring onion over the surface. Serve immediately with steamed short-grain rice and kimchi.

Notes

Sundubu (순두부, uncurdled soft tofu) is sold in tube-shaped plastic packaging in Korean grocery stores. It is the softest commercially available tofu product and cannot be substituted exactly: the uncurdled curd structure dissolves differently in the broth. Silken tofu in its softest available form is the closest substitute. Gochugaru (Korean dried chilli powder) is specifically Korean: it is made from a variety of Capsicum annuum that has been bred over centuries for its fruity, moderately spicy heat and vivid scarlet colour. Japanese or Chinese chilli flakes are not substitutes: they lack the characteristic sweet-hot fruity character that defines gochugaru.

The Gastrographer

Mapping Culinary History

To explore — select an ingredient below.

To explore — select an ingredient below · click any location dot on the map for recipes and stories · browse the information panel on the right · trace the full journey on the timeline.

Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control