Doenjang jjigae
Soybean paste stew with tofu
된장찌개 · Everyday soybean paste stew with tofu, courgette, potato and mushrooms
Doenjang jjigae (된장찌개) is the stew Korean families all over the country eat most often: a bubbling pot of fermented soybean paste broth with tofu, potato, courgette, mushrooms and chilli, served with rice and banchan. Doenjang is deeper and funkier than Japanese miso, and it gives the broth a rich, earthy savouriness. It is usually made with anchovy stock; here a quick kelp and shiitake stock does the same job, so the stew is vegan. Serve it in the pot it was cooked in, still bubbling. Chef's tip: add the doenjang early and let it simmer. Its earthy depth comes out with a few minutes of bubbling, and it is better a little thick and salty than thin, as it is eaten with plenty of rice.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the stock
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 piece dried kelp (dasima)about 10 × 10 cm
- 3 dried shiitake mushroomssoaked in warm water for 10 minutes
For the stew
- 1 tsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste) (optional)
- 2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 1 potatosmall, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
- ½ onioncut into 2 cm pieces
- ½ courgettecut into half-moons 1 cm thick
- 3 ½ oz oyster mushroomstorn into pieces
- 7 oz firm tofucut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 green chillisliced
- 1 red chillisliced
- 1 spring onionsliced
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 2 ½ cups water and 1 piece dried kelp (dasima) in a small pot or Korean earthenware pot (ttukbaegi). Squeeze 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, slice them and add them too. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, then lift out the kelp.
7 minStep 2: Press 3 tbsp doenjang (Korean soybean paste) through a small sieve into the stock with the back of a spoon so it dissolves without lumps. Stir in 1 tsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste) and ½ tsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes).
Step 4: Add ½ courgette, 3 ½ oz oyster mushrooms and 7 oz firm tofu and simmer for 4 minutes more, until the courgette is tender and the potato is cooked through.
4 minStep 5: Add 1 green chilli, 1 red chilli and 1 spring onion and cook for 1 minute. Taste; add a little more doenjang if it needs salt. Serve bubbling hot with rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does doenjang jjigae take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 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 dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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