Korean Chwinamul Doenjang Stew

Quick answer

Total time: 31 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Chwinamul-doenjang-jjigae is a Korean stew that pairs wild aster greens with fermented soybean paste, letting the mountain herb's sharp, slightly bitter fragrance run through a deeply savory broth.

Rice-rinsing water replaces stock as the base, giving the broth a gentle body, while potato pieces break down gradually during cooking and thicken the liquid without any additional steps. Shimeji mushrooms add chew at irregular intervals throughout the bowl. The stew benefits most from fresh spring chwinamul, when the greens carry the strongest mountain-herb aroma. A small drizzle of perilla oil stirred in at the end adds a nutty finish that rounds out the fermented soybean base.

Ingredients (2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
chwinamul greens	130	g
potato	160	g
shimeji mushrooms	90	g
onion	70	g
soybean paste	2.2	tbsp
hot green chili	1	piece
minced garlic	0.8	tbsp
rice-rinse water	700	ml

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Trim 130g chwinamul greens by removing yellowed leaves and tough stem ends.

Rinse them in running cold water, shaking between the stems to clear grit, then drain well and cut into 5 cm lengths.
2

Prep

Slice 160g potato and 70g onion into thin 0.5 cm pieces so the potato softens and thickens the broth evenly.

Trim the root base from 90g shimeji mushrooms and pull them into loose strands by hand.
3

Control

Pour 700ml rice-rinse water into a pot and dissolve 2.2 tablespoons soybean paste through a sieve to avoid salty lumps.

Bring it to a full boil over high heat, skimming foam if it gathers on top.
4

Control

When the broth boils, add the potato and onion, then lower to medium heat and simmer for about 7 minutes.

Stir occasionally once the potato edges look cloudy so the starch thickens the broth without sticking.
5

Control

Once the potato is partly tender, add the shimeji mushrooms and 0.8 tablespoon minced garlic.

Simmer for about 2 minutes, just until the mushrooms relax into the broth and the raw garlic edge softens.
6

Control

Add the chwinamul greens and 1 sliced hot green chili near the end, then simmer only 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn off the heat when the stems are tender but the greens still smell fresh and herbal.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Wild aster greens pair with savory soybean broth in chwinamul doenjang jjigae.
Finish cue: Turn off the heat when the stems are tender but the greens still smell fresh and herbal.
Avoid this: Add chwinamul late and avoid overcooking to preserve its aroma.