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Chodang sundubu
초당순두부 · Gangneung's warm, just-set silken tofu with a soy and spring onion dressing
In Chodang village on the edge of Gangneung, tofu houses have curdled soy milk with clean seawater from the East Sea for generations, and the result, chodang sundubu (초당순두부), is served warm in a bowl before it has been pressed: soft, quivering curds in their own pale whey, with a soy dressing to spoon over. It is breakfast and lunch there, eaten with rice, kimchi and a few banchan, and tastes sweet and clean in a way packaged tofu never does. At home, nigari (the mineral salt left from seawater) gives the same effect. Use plain, unsweetened soy milk with at least 7% soy or make your own. Chef's tip: add the nigari off the heat and stir only once or twice; stirring after the curds start to form breaks them into grains.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the tofu
For the dressing (yangnyeomjang)
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp water, 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes), 1 spring onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Pour 4 ¼ cups unsweetened soy milk into a heavy pan and heat over a medium-low heat, stirring the bottom often with a flat spatula, until it reaches 80–185°F: small bubbles round the edge, steam rising, but not boiling. Skim off any skin that forms.
12 minStep 3: Dissolve 1 ½ tsp nigari (liquid magnesium chloride) or seawater coagulant in ¼ cup water. Take the pan off the heat. Pour in two-thirds of the nigari water in a slow circle and stir gently once from the bottom in a figure of eight. Cover and leave for 5 minutes without touching.
5 minStep 4: Lift the lid. You should see soft white clouds of curd with yellowish whey between them. If it still looks milky, drizzle in the rest of the nigari water over the surface, cover again and wait 5 minutes more.
5 minStep 5: Ladle the warm curds and some of the whey into bowls. The texture should be like soft scrambled egg, just holding its shape. A common mistake is boiling the soy milk after adding the coagulant, which makes the curds tough and grainy. Serve warm with the dressing to spoon over, and with rice and kimchi.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does chodang sundubu take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of unsweetened soy milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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