Spicy soft tofu stew with kimchi and pork belly

Kimchi-sundubu-jjigae 김치순두부찌개

It’s about time for some sizzling, comforting stew, isn’t it? How about sundubu-jjigae? It’s hot, spicy, filling, comforting, delicious, soft tofu stew and has many reasons to be one of the most popular items in Korean restaurants.

I made a video and recipe for sundubu-jjigae seven years ago (!) and it’s been watched over a million times on YouTube (!!). So it was about time for an HD remake and a variation on the recipe, too. That recipe was for seafood sundubu-jjigae, which is my favorite, but since then I’ve learned that kimchi-sundubu-jjigae is more popular. This recipe is is for that version, it’s sundubu-jjigae made with kimchi and pork belly, really hard to go wrong with this dish. Whichever one you choose, you won’t be disappointed. Both are delicious, spicy, and savory, much better than anything you can order at a restaurant.

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This recipe serves 1 or two people, but you can double or triple the recipe for more people, and use a large stainless steel or cast iron pot for the cooking. If you want to serve everyone in a ttukbaegi then you’ll need to cook them on multiple burners, just like a restaurant!

Enjoy my recipe, and let me know if you make this! Take a photo and send it to me!

Ingredients (Serves 1 or 2)

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Directions

Make anchovy kelp stock (myeolchi dasima yuksu):

  1. Put dried anchovies, radish, dried kelp, and 4 cups of water in a pot. Cover and boil over medium high heat for 10 minutes until it starts boiling.
  2. Reduce the heat to low and boil another 20 minutes
  3. Remove from the heat and strain. It will make about 2 cups of stock.
    sundubu jjigae -anchovy stocksundubu jjigae-stock

Make the spicy paste:

  1. Combine the hot pepper flakes and the sesame oil in a small bowl and mix well.

ingredients-tofu-stew
Put it all together:

  1. Heat up a 3 cup earthenware pot (ttukbaegi) on the stove over medium high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. If you use a small heavy pan or pot, it will take less.
  2. Add the vegetable oil, onion, and garlic. Stir it with a wooden spoon for 1 minute.
    sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개)
  3. Add the pork. Stir for 3 minutes until the pork is no longer pink.
    sundubu-jjigae (spicy soft tofu stew: 순두부찌개)
  4. Add kimchi and keep stirring for a minute. Add ½ cup anchovy stock. Cover and cook for 7 minutes over medium heat.
  5. Add the salt and the sugar and mix well.
  6. Cut the tube of soft tofu into half and squeeze it out into the pot. Gently break up the tofu with a wooden spoon. If you want, add a few tablespoons of stock.
  7. Put the hot pepper mixture on top and spread it with the spoon.
    sundubu-jjigae (순두부찌개: Korean spicy soft tofu stew)sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개)
  8. Crack the egg and put it on top, in the center of the stew. Let it bubble and sizzle for 1 minute.

Serve:

  1. Sprinkle with the chopped green onion and serve with rice and a few more side dishes.

sundubu-jjigae (순두부찌개: Korean spicy soft tofu stew)

Posted on Monday, January 26th, 2015 at 12:46 pm. Last updated on November 11, 2020.
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116 Comments:

  1. Mglaspy New york joined 11/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 11th, 2017 at 2:44 pm |

    Hello! So excited to make this :) what size pot did you use for this recipe? Thank you!

  2. Evil Twin Manitoba Canada joined 5/17 & has 2 comments
    Posted May 4th, 2017 at 9:38 am |

    Once I found this recipe, it took me over 3 months to find all the ingredients I needed to make it. It was certainly worth all the effort. I have made it twice in the last week and can’t wait to eat it again!! Thank you for such an amazing recipe!!


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  3. Blackie Cairns, Australia joined 1/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted January 9th, 2017 at 12:13 am |

    Maangchi – when I lived in South Korea my husband and I used to go to a restaurant in Jinju where our favourite meal was Soondubu-jjigae, but it was always served it as plain soft tofu soup and then brought out different accompaniments that we could add to our soup for flavour. However when I search the internet, all recipes for soondubu-jjigae are spicy! Is this how it is normally served in restaurants? Perhaps Jinju makes their soup differently!

  4. SteveC Taiwan joined 12/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 11th, 2016 at 11:24 pm |

    Hi, I’m so glad my niece introduced me to your channel. A couple of weeks ago, for my first ever experience at cooking a Korean dish, I made this spicy soft tofu stew. It was fantastic! I also made your bok choy seasoned with fermented soybean paste.

    I’m now excited to try cooking more Korean meals. Thanks Maangchi!


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  5. Spiaggian Singapore joined 11/16 & has 2 comments
    Posted December 10th, 2016 at 10:03 am |

    Hi Maangchi,

    Tried my hand at your sundubu jjigae recipe! It was delicious!!


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  6. jaedehunter & has 1 comment
    Posted December 6th, 2016 at 2:40 pm |

    I’ve been sick and my best friend was so worried about me. When I was recovered enough I made him this soup which he likes very much in our watershed modeling lab at KSU with portable burner. I gave him your recipe and website as well. He took a picture of his meal and sent it to me. And now it is here :-)


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  7. Cupcakekv Chula Vista joined 12/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted December 4th, 2016 at 1:31 pm |

    First time cooking sundubu-jjigae! Me and my husband loved the recipe! It was delicious and I loved cooking in the earthenware bowls!


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  8. devers0122 Maryland, USA joined 11/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 29th, 2016 at 9:34 am |

    Maangchi, thank you for the video and recipe. I made this last night and it was a hit for the whole family. Here in the DC area there is a tofu soup restaurant called “Lighthouse” (actually there are a few locations), and I was trying to make what i get there at home. Your recipe and method were spot on. Thanks again, i really like this and will make it again. -Doug


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  9. lwilliams50 Atlanta joined 9/16 & has 2 comments
    Posted September 13th, 2016 at 8:50 am |

    Thank you Maangchi for this delicious and addictive Korean Sundubu-Jjigae recipe!
    I was traveling over an hour every week to a restaurant to get my Sundubu fix. I went the the local H-Mart, stocked up on my goodies and now I can make it at home. I varied my recipe by one ingredient and used beef this time instead of pork. My next challenge is Korean Fried Chicken, another of my addictions!


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  10. Estar Singapore joined 7/14 & has 7 comments
    Posted September 13th, 2016 at 8:15 am |

    I love this recipe. Sometimes I make it with minced pork, other times with clams. And I usually add some shiitake mushroom because it makes the stew so savoury. The egg is the best part – I even put in 2 eggs for myself sometimes! Haha…

  11. Divski New York, NY joined 8/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted August 13th, 2016 at 12:45 am |

    Hi Maangchi! I love sundubu and often go out of my way to have some!
    Is there a vegetarian version of your Sundubu recipe that you can recommend?

  12. Omsin Salamanca, Spain joined 7/16 & has 7 comments
    Posted July 23rd, 2016 at 9:45 am |

    I tried making this with your recipe several months ago and loved it so much! It has become one of my favourite Korean dishes and I’m going to cook it again and again. Thank you <3


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  13. Mamegordy SINGAPORE joined 5/16 & has 2 comments
    Posted July 23rd, 2016 at 9:19 am |

    Yippee!! I get the taste of kimchi sundubu jjigae better than restaurant… Woohoo!… WHO I LEARN FROM? Is Maangchi! Maangchi!


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  14. vvcosta United States joined 6/16 & has 6 comments
    Posted June 27th, 2016 at 7:34 pm |

    I substituted the pork for mushrooms and used beef stock instead (because I didn’t have anchovies or kelp on hand) and it was delicious! I used to always have to go out for really good sundubujjigae but now I can stay home and enjoy it!

  15. Hilldabeast Groveland, Ca joined 10/12 & has 1 comment
    Posted June 16th, 2016 at 5:39 pm |

    Thank you maangchi! My husband is Korean and always says that soondooboo is only good at restaurants but today I proved him wrong! He loved your recipe and we are happy to have it since we live hours away from Korean restaurants. Thank you! He doesn’t like egg so here’s an eggless soondooboo. :)


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