Korean Beurokolli Dubu Doenjang Bokkeum (Broccoli Tofu Doenjang Stir-fry)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 26 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Broccoli florets and firm tofu are stir-fried in a sauce made by dissolving doenjang in water, producing a Korean vegetarian side dish with layered fermented-soybean depth.
Read more
Pan-searing the tofu in perilla oil until golden before combining with the other ingredients prevents crumbling during stir-frying and creates a crisp shell around a soft center. The broccoli is blanched for only 40 seconds to lock in its crunch, then added to the pan where the doenjang sauce coats each floret and suppresses any raw green bitterness, converting it into a mellow savoriness. Because doenjang carries significant salt on its own, soy sauce should be adjusted only at the very end after tasting. Toasted sesame seeds scattered over the top add a final layer of nuttiness. The dish provides plant-based protein from the tofu and dietary fiber from the broccoli in a single well-balanced plate. For a spicier variation, a small amount of gochujang stirred into the doenjang sauce deepens both the color and the heat without needing extra chili flakes. The ratio of doenjang to water also matters: too little water leaves the sauce overly salty and the broccoli unevenly coated, while too much thins the fermented depth. A starting ratio of one part doenjang to two parts water by volume gives consistent results.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Press 320 g firm tofu with kitchen towels until the surface feels dry, then cut it into 2 cm cubes.
If the tofu stays wet, it will splatter in the pan and break more easily while searing.
- 2Heat
Cut 300 g broccoli into bite-size florets and blanch them in boiling water for only 40 seconds.
Transfer them straight to cold water, then drain well so the color stays bright and the texture remains crisp.
- 3Season
Dissolve 1.5 tablespoons doenjang in 3 tablespoons water until no thick lumps remain.
Keep 1 tablespoon soy sauce aside for the end, because the doenjang may already make the dish salty enough.
- 4Control
Heat 1 tablespoon perilla oil in a pan over medium heat, then lay the tofu in a single layer.
Leave each side undisturbed for about 1 1/2 minutes, and remove the tofu when the edges turn golden and firm.
- 5Control
In the same pan, stir-fry 100 g onion and 1 tablespoon minced garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute.
When the onion turns slightly translucent, pour in the doenjang mixture and simmer until the edges begin to bubble.
- 6Finish
Add the seared tofu and drained broccoli, then toss gently over medium heat for about 2 minutes until the sauce coats everything.
Taste before adding soy sauce, adjust only as needed, and finish with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Firm tofu seared in perilla oil meets blanched broccoli in a deep doenjang-based sauce.
- Finish cue
- When the onion turns slightly translucent, pour in the doenjang mixture and simmer until the edges begin to bubble.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
26min, 9 ingredients
Category median
25min, 8 ingredients
Based on 220 recipes
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