Japanese Style Sundubu Jjigae (Spicy Tofu Stew)

Sundubu Jjigae originally came from Korea. Many Japanese (including myself) purchase Sundubu Jjigae stock packs, mix with water and enjoy at home. I’ve eaten Sundubu Jjigae both in Japan and in Korea and the flavors are slightly different due to the spices. I brought a couple of these packs home when I returned to the USA and my husband loved the flavor. However, this stock is difficult to find in the USA. Therefore, I made my own Japanese Style Sundubu Jjigae recipe with hot pepper paste, dashi and white miso that was available in supermarkets in the USA. The white miso and dashi adds flavors that Japanese enjoy.

Sundubu jjigae is originally a Korean stew that’s made with tofu. Jjigae means stew, and sundubu means tofu in Korean. Once you have all the ingredients, it can come together really quick. Plop all the ingredients into a pot, heat for a bit, and you can enjoy a nice warm, comforting stew. Okay, it’s a little more complicated than that, but you can cook it from start to finish in less than 40 minutes! For this recipe, I used hot pepper paste as shown in the picture below. Other types of hot pepper paste can also be used. I was able to buy the white miso and the tofu at the regular super market. If you can’t find dashi, chicken stock can also be used in a pinch. Please try this Japanese style sundubu jjigae and let me know what you think!

Tips for Making Japanese Style Sundubu Jjigae

• Sundubu jjigae is often made with soft tofu. However, I used firm tofu instead of soft tofu because I’ve found the soft tofu often falls apart when mixing the stew. Also, regular tofu was easier to find!
• If you don’t have, or can’t find dashi, you can also use chicken stock in a pinch
• Japanese style sundubu jjigae can be enjoyed as a stew. You can also add ramen noodles or rice to the stew to make a main dish.
• You can top the stew with cheese and green onions for additional flavors.
• If you prefer a spicier stew, you can add more hot pepper paste. If you prefer a less spicy stew, you can add less hot pepper paste.
• This can also be made with shrimp or seafood. The seafood flavoring makes this dish even more delicious.

Japanese Style Sundubu Jjigae (Spicy Tofu Stew)

Sundubu jjigae is a spicy tofu Korean stew. I made the soup stock with white miso, dashi and hot pepper paste to add a Japanese twist to a classic Korean dish. Japanese style sundubu jjigae is a warming and comforting stew that can be enjoyed anytime of the year.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine Japanese, Korean

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• Pot
• Mixing Bowl
• Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

  

• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 90 grams Chinese cabbage
• 180 grams chicken thigh
• Half firm tofu (soft tofu can also be used)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 70 grams hot pepper paste
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp dashi
• 50 grams white miso

Instructions

 

• Slice the onion and garlic into fine pieces
• Chop the Chinese cabbage into small pieces
• Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks
• Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes
• Add the sesame oil into a pot for the soup and heat on medium
• Add the garlic, chicken and onions into the pot and fry over medium heat
• After the onions soften, add the hot pepper paste into the pot and mix
• Add 3 cups of water and the chinese cabbage into the pot, cover, and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes
• Add the dashi, white miso, and tofu into the pot. Stir and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes
• Enjoy as a stew or with rice.

Video

Keyword Soup, Tofu