Sundubu Jjigae
This comforting stew is packed with all the spicy, savoury, smoky Korean flavours you love. Bonus: it's loaded with nutritious protein and vegetables too!
Equipment
- Covered pot
Ingredients
- 2 Italian-style soft anchovy fillets (See Recipe Notes 1)
- 3 tbsp chopped kimchi (reserve juice)
- 1/4 cup chopped cabbage
- 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/3 can flaky tuna
- 1/2 block white soft tofu
- Fish sauce and kimchi juice to taste
For saute-ing
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp pepper powder
- 1-2 tbsp oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together saute-ing ingredients except oil into a paste. Heat up oil in a pot and saute paste until fragrant. Use half the mixture, reserve the other for future use.
- Into the same pot, add anchovies, followed by chopped kimchi. Saute the kimchi briefly; this causes the kimchi to caramelize slightly and intensifies the umami flavour.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and enough water to cover. Boil over low heat for about 20-30 minutes to enable flavours to fully develop.
- Adjust seasoning with fish sauce and kimchi juice according to your personal preference. Serve with hot white rice or noodles.
Notes
- The traditional ingredient is of course dried anchovies, which you boil in water to create stock. But but I happened to have a small container of these Italian-style soft anchovy fillets. I saw another two bloggers using it so thought, why not? Purists may frown but this is a great short cut as you don't have to boil dried anchovies for a long time to extract the flavour.
- This is meant to be a versatile dish, so feel free to add other kinds of vegetables and proteins. I sometimes crack an egg, add cabbage for bulk, or throw in enoki mushrooms, which absorbs the flavours like a sponge.