Recipe · Stews
Soft tofu stew, silky and red
순두부찌개 sundubu jjigae: soft tofu in a red broth made with a quick chili oil, with an egg cracked in at the end. Ready in about 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Stew
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 to 2 tbsp Taekyung gochugaru, fine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 oz ground pork, thin-sliced beef, or mushrooms
- 1/3 cup napa kimchi, chopped
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 cup water or anchovy stock
- 1 package (11 to 14 oz) soft or silken tofu
To finish
- 1 egg
- 1 scallion, sliced
- Salt and pepper
Taekyung gochugaru, fine4.7 out of 5 stars, 2,464 ratings on Amazon
Buy Fine 1 lb on AmazonFine 1 lb: $12.90 on Amazon.com on Oct 30, 2026. All sizes, flake or fine
Method
Make a chili oil
Warm the oil in a small pot over low heat. Stir in the gochugaru and garlic for about 1 minute: it should sizzle gently, never smoke.
Fry the pork and kimchi
Add the pork and kimchi, turn the heat to medium, and fry for 5 minutes, until the pork is cooked.
Simmer
Add the soy sauce and the water or stock, bring it to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the tofu
Spoon in the tofu in big pieces and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir gently, so it stays in soft curds.
Crack in the egg
Turn off the heat, crack the egg into the middle and scatter the scallion on top. Season with salt and pepper and serve it bubbling, with rice.
How hot?
1 tablespoon of gochugaru makes it medium; 2 make it hot. The chili oil carries the heat, so add it there, not at the end.
Seafood version
Swap the pork for a handful of shrimp or clams, added with the tofu.
New to gochugaru? Read the guide
Ready to cook?
This recipe uses the fine cut. You check out on Amazon.
Buy Fine 1 lb on AmazonFine 1 lb: $12.90 on Amazon.com on Oct 30, 2026.