Sundubu-jjigae (sometimes spelled soondubu-jjigae) is a spicy, seasoned stew made with a type of silky soft tofu called sundubu. Served hot at the table in its traditional earthenware bowl, it’s impossible to resist. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like sundubu-jjigae after they tried it. All it takes is one time!
If you go to a Korean sundubu-jjigae restaurant you’ll be surprised at how many varieties they make. This version is my favorite. When I go to the restaurant I always choose the seafood version, and it’s the one I most like to make at home, too. I’ve created a sundubu-jjigae section on my website that includes all the sundubu-jjigae recipes I’ve made so far. If you follow any of those recipes exactly, you will have some really delicious stew!
Usually we Koreans have sundubu-jjigae in a Korean earthenware bowl, but so many of you have told me over the years that you can’t get that bowl, or want to feed more people than you have bowls, so I’m including a serving alternative at the end of this recipe that explains how to serve it in regular bowls.
I have a funny story about Korean earthenware bowls (ttukbaegi). When I was making my first cookbook, my editor Rux and my literary agent came over to my house in New York for lunch. I made them bibimbap in Korean earthenware bowls. Rux was surprised to see me doing this, she said “Oh, where can I buy those bowls?”
I said “At a Korean grocery store! Do you want me to help you buy one?”
She said “Sure!” So we took a taxi down to Koreatown on 32nd street. She bought a lot of them, maybe 7 or 8 bowls! They were so heavy. Rux doesn’t even live in New York, she lives in Vermont. I helped her take all those heavy bowls to her hotel and then she later took them all the way home to Vermont in her car. Ever since we made that cookbook she’s been cooking Korean food all the time and has become better and better at it. Her whole family are big fans of Korean food now, all the way to her granddaughter, and she says she’s the Maangchi of Vermont now.
I chose large shrimp in my recipe but you don’t have to use shrimp that big. Just use smaller shrimp or even cocktail shrimp and the broth will still be delicious.
I wanted to show you a typical sundubu-jjigae table setting in the video. What you need to do is completely set the table with the side dishes and everything so that when the sundubu-jjigae is bubbling on the stove you can bring it right out to serve, directly on to the table. If you keep it boiling on the stove while you set up the table, the seafood will get tough and the sundubu-jjigae will actually boil down, which you really don’t want.
Enjoy the recipe! I hope you become the Maangchi of your area! : )
Ingredients (for 2 servings)
- ¼ cup gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup (about 1 ounce) chopped onion
- 1 large king oyster mushroom (or ½ cup of any mushrooms), chopped
- 1 large green onion (dae-pa) or 2 green onions, the white part and green part separated and chopped
- 2½ cups anchovy kelp stock (or vegetable stock, or beef or chicken broth)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or salt to your taste)
- 2 tubes soft tofu (or 22 ounces silken tofu)
- 2 to 3 large deveined shrimp in the shell, rinsed
- 6 fresh shucked or shucked frozen oysters, rinsed
- 4 to 6 fresh mussels, cleaned and rinsed
- 2 eggs
Directions
- Combine the hot pepper flakes, sesame oil, and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix well with a spoon until the hot pepper flakes absorb all the oil. Set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, the chopped white part of the green onion, and mushroom. Stir with a wooden spoon until the onion and garlic are slightly brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until it’s boiling vigorously.
- Add shrimp, oysters, and mussels. Cut the tubes of tofu in half and squeeze them into the boiling stew, and then break up the tofu a bit with a wooden spoon. If using silken tofu, scoop or squeeze from the box into the stew.
- Add the fish sauce (or salt to your taste), half of the hot pepper mixture, and stir a few times.
- Cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the seafood is fully cooked and the broth is infused with its savory flavor.
2 ways to serve:
Serve in Korean earthenware bowls:
- Ladle the stew into 2 earthenware bowls (2½ cup bowls work best) and place them on the stove top. Heat them up over high heat. Add the leftover seasoning mixture on top of the stew in each bowl.
- When the stews starts bubbling, crack the eggs into each bowl. Cook for another minute until vigorously boiling. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the green part of the chopped green onion over top.
- Serve right away while it’s bubbling, with rice, kimchi, and more side dishes on the side.
Serve in regular soup bowls:
- Add the second half of the seasoning mixture to the boiling stew in the pot and mix it in a bit. Carefully crack the eggs into the bubbling stew, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes until the eggs are slightly (or half) cooked. Remove from the heat.
- Gently ladle the stew into two soup bowls without disturbing the eggs. Scoop up each egg and place one in each bowl.
- Sprinkle the green part of the chopped green onion over top and serve right away with rice, kimchi, and more side dishes.
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Thank you, Maangchi, for this recipe. I tried a seafood tofu hotpot dish in the Korean restaurant and love the very delicious soup. I have been wondering what ingredients they used. Now I know the secret!! and immediately rushed off to get the anchovies and kelp. I really, and still couldn’t believe just this small amount of anchovies and kelp made such delicious stock. I am soooo happy now as my noodle soup will no longer be awful again!! Just one thing, the stock smells very fishy. I bought the same anchovies and kelp you pictured but not the same brand. Is the fishy smell normal? The soup doesn’t taste as fishy, but just wonder. Thanks again!!
happy ruth
Lina,
As you know, you can put a hot pot(ceramic pot, earthernware) on the stove directly. After using it, keep it in your cupboard or anywhere. There is nothing special care for it. : ) Cute,
I love it! I just used your recipe but also made a beef stock as the base and it was fantastic! Thanks so much. Would you also mind sometime explaining how to care for a hot pot? I’ve had one and never really knew how to use it until I saw your videos. Things like that, and the pictures of ingredients really help those of us who are totally clueless like myself. :)
Lina,
Oh, Soon du bu is your favorite korean side dish? Cool! If you follow this recipe exactly, I’m sure you will be happy about the taste.
Rose,
I will make the video for the cucumber side dish some day. Meanwhile I’m giving you the recipe. It’s too easy! : )
Prepare for 1 English cucmuber (large size)
1. Slice it into thinly about 0.5 cm thick
2. In a bowl, mix these ingredients: 2 TBS soy sauce, 1/2 ts of sugar, 1 TBS of hot pepper flakes, 2 cloves of Crushed garlic, 1 chopped green onion,and 1 TBS of sesame oil and 1/2 TBS of toastedsesame seeds
3.Add the sliced cucmuber into “2” and mix it with a spoon.
Let me know how it goes later.
I would like the recipes for Korean cucumbers, made as a side dish.They are sliced and sesmae oil and hot pepper paste is also added but I do not have the complete recipe.Also the bean sprouts that are marinated with the sesame oil I would also like that recipe.Thank You Rose
Thanks for posting this recipe! This is my all-time favorite Korean dish, and I’m excited to try this version of it. I’m off to the market to get the ingredients now…
Lillian,
Yes, it’s soon du bu!
Oh–haha! I just realized this is the dish I saw in the restaurant last night (which I mentioned in my last comment). Now I know the name, so I can order it. Mmm I can’t wait!
Hi,from Hoju,
I’m glad to hear about your successful soondubu making.
Hi Maangchi,
I tried cooking soon dubu after watching your videos. However, I did not have frozen seafood on hand, instead I cooked with fresh fish and prawns and thanks to you showing how to make the stock, The soon dubu turned out very delicious. I will try some of your other dishes when I have time.
regards,
Martha from Hoju.
Hi, Allegic to shellfish,
I’m glad to know you made good soon du bu jjigae! You can eat the kelp after boiling. This time I threw it away because I did not feel like eating. : )
Hi, Deborah,
I don’t think an earthen ware pot is essential.
Did he stir fry hot pepper flakes with vegetable oil (olive oil), beef strips, and chopped mushrooms? After stir frying those ingredients with oil, then pour in 2 cups of stock.
I hope his next soon du bu is successful.
Thank you for your question.
hi maangchi!
i have a question about soon dubu. my friend (who happens to be korean..) attempted to make it on his own. unfortunately, he was not quite successful and we weren’t sure what he did wrong. what do you think is the importance of the earthen ware bowl/pot? he used a regular pot. he indicated that there was a lot of red pepper flakes sitting at the bottom of his stew.
thanks!
deborah
Hello Maangchi,
I made this today and it was really good! I didn’t add the seafood thou because I am allergic to shellfish. but it was still tasty. I have a question about the kelp. Do you throw away the kelp after you made the stock or can you eat it?
Hi, James,
I sure agree with you.
Let me know when you make it later and take a photo of it if you can.
Thanks as always,
Hi Maangchi!
I ate soon du bu jjigae for the first time tonight at a Korean food court. It was nice but I thought it needed something. When I find 다시마 I will follow your recipe to the T!
Hi, Old man good eater,
funny id name! Yes, old man should eat good food.
The knife I am using is from Henkels. By the way, a knife has nothing to do with your cooking skill. : )
If you have difficulty finding the frozen seafood, I recommend using 3 mussels, 5 medium size shrimp, and 3 oysters. As long as the stock is delicious, I’m sure it will be good.
Hi, Chuck,
I think you can get it at a korean grocery store. It costs less than $ 10.00. Thanks!
Hi Maanchi,
Your videos and explanation are lovely.
Where can I purchase the clay pot to make jji gae?
Two questions, please, from a Korean food addict devoted to your podcasts and website! I cannot find frozen assorted or mixed seafood in my local Korean markets. Please suggest an assortment of frozen or fresh seafood I might buy individually packed for the Soon du bu. (I am in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area.) Also, please tell us, if you will, what brand and model of “magic” knife you always use that is so wonderfully sharp!
Hi,Anonymous,
Here is my answer regarding your question
1. There are so many different kinds of seaplants and kelp is one of them. To make stock, we use “Kelp”(“daa si ma” in korean)
2. Hot pepper flakes are more coarse than hot pepper powder. For the recipe I showed in the videos, you can use either hot pepper powder or hot pepper flakes. no difference.
how bout if i use hot pepper paste instead of hot pepper powder or hot pepper flakes??? Is it gonna b the same??
Hi Maanchi,
1. Is the kelp the same as seaplant? Or seaplant can substitute kelp in this dish?
2. What’s the hot pepper flakes (very very thin) used for?
3. Can we use hot pepper powder to make hot spicy fried squid? because I thought some retaurant use the powder instead of hot pepper flakes.
Thank you so much for your answer!
Hi,rovingbubs,
I added the frozen shrimp directly to the stew, and I rinsed one cup of the mixed frozen seafood in running water before using.
hi maangchi,
thank you for posting soon du bu. the mixed seafood and shrimp that you added, are those frozen and added directly to the stew?
thanks again.
Thank you anonymous,
I’m glad that this dish is your favorite dish. I hope you make it soon.
Hi,confused,
I’m going to post all pictures of korean ingredients that I have used for my cooking videos in my blog soon. I usually use “Tae Yang Cho” hot pepper flakes.
One hundreds thank yous to Maangchi, too:)
This dish is one of most favouristest korean foods, and Maanchi has helped us to enjoy it at home!
I’m confused with which pepper flakes to buy. Can you post a picture of what type of hot pepper flakes you used for this soup? Thanks.
Liz,
For soon du bu jji gae, you will have to use hot pepper flakes. No hot pepper paste.
If you can’t find bigger size of dried anchovies, just use any dried anchovies, but recommend using 1 cup of dried anchovies.
Hi, Sandy
Sooner or later, you will become an expert in Korean cooking! : )
Oh thank you, thank you, one hundred thank yous. I can’t wait to try this recipe out! I’ve tried several others from your website and they’ve all turned out delicious.
Hi Maanchi,
I think your cooking videos are the best in YouTube!
This is my favorite food on a cold day. I used to eat this frequently in the winter on 34th or 32nd St. in Manhattan. I don’t live in an area where Korean restaurants are common anymore, so no more Korean food for lunch everyday. Thank you for making the effort to show people how to make this wonderful cuisine at home. You are doing a good service to the internet!
Hi Maangchi,
Where can I find hot pepper flakes? Is it the same as using hot pepper paste? Also, korean market sells anchovies for stock and anchovies for pan frying but the anchovies for stock are quite large!! They dont look the same size as the ones you use…