Korean Soft Tofu Stew (Silken Tofu in Spicy Clam Broth)
Quick answer
Sundubu-jjigae is one of Korea's most recognizable stews, built around silken soft tofu simmered in a fiery broth with clams, ground pork, and gochugaru.
What makes this special
- Soft tofu, clams, and ground pork layer flavors in this classic spicy sundubu jjigae.
- Clam briny freshness and pork's richness layer in the same broth
- Ttukbaegi's heat retention keeps the stew bubbling at the table
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Soak 150g of clams in 3% salted water for 30 minutes to purge the sand, and...
- 2 Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a stone pot over medium heat and stir-fry...
- 3 Add 1.5 tablespoons of gochugaru and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and stir-...
Sundubu-jjigae is one of Korea's most recognizable stews, built around silken soft tofu simmered in a fiery broth with clams, ground pork, and gochugaru. The process starts by frying sesame oil, chili flakes, and garlic together until the fat turns red and fragrant, which becomes the flavor foundation of the entire pot. Stock is poured in and brought to a hard boil, then two eggs are cracked directly onto the surface of the stew and left to set into a soft, barely-cooked yolk. Clams bring a clean oceanic salinity to the broth while the pork provides a meatier, rounder depth, and the two work together to create a layered complexity that neither delivers alone. The stew is served still boiling in an earthenware pot because the clay retains heat far longer than metal, keeping every spoonful scalding from first to last. A scoop of rice stirred into the leftover broth absorbs the spicy, savory liquid completely.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Soak 150g of clams in 3% salted water for 30 minutes to purge the sand, and season 100g of pork with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- 2Control
Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a stone pot over medium heat and stir-fry the pork for 2 minutes until the outside turns white and opaque.
- 3Heat
Add 1.5 tablespoons of gochugaru and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds until the gochugaru flavor fully blooms in the oil.
- 4Control
Add 400ml of water and the soaked clams and bring to a boil over high heat.
When the clam shells start to open, spoon in 400g of soft tofu in large chunks.
- 5Control
Season with 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes.
The tofu is well seasoned when it starts to take on the orange tint of the broth.
- 6Finish
Just before turning off the heat, crack in the eggs and add diagonally sliced green onion.
Serve when the egg whites are just barely set from the residual heat of the stone pot.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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Korean Perilla Leaf Soft Tofu Stew
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Korean Soft Tofu Stew Rice Bowl
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Similar recipes
Korean Oyster Soft Tofu Soup
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Korean Soft Tofu Soup (Mild Clear Broth with Silken Tofu)
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Soybean sprout jjigae is a spicy home-style stew built around kongnamul, with tofu and pork adding substance to a broth seasoned with gochugaru and soup soy sauce. The sprouts release their own clean, slightly sweet liquid as they cook, and that natural base broth combines with the heat of the chili flakes to produce the sharp, refreshing character the dish is best known for. A critical technique rule applies to the sprouts: once the lid is placed, it should not be lifted during cooking. If the lid is removed and steam escapes, the sprouts develop an unpleasant grassy smell that cannot be reversed. If the lid is accidentally opened, the only correction is to leave it off and continue cooking without it until the end. Tofu absorbs the broth and provides a soft contrast to the crunchy sprouts, while the pork contributes fat and savory depth that enriches the broth. Green onion and minced garlic add aroma, and cracking a beaten egg into the pot as the broth comes to a full boil creates soft egg pieces throughout. The whole dish comes together in under twenty minutes from start to finish, making it a practical weeknight soup.