Korean Ugeoji Doenjang Stew

Quick answer

Total time: 50 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 10

About this dish

Ugeoji-doenjang-jjigae simmers the tough outer leaves of napa cabbage in rice-rinse water with doenjang and a spoonful of gochujang into a deeply savory, comforting stew.

The outer leaves are blanched in salted water, rinsed in cold water, and squeezed out firmly before use, a step that removes bitterness and opens the fibrous leaves to absorb the seasoning. The starchy rice-rinse water gives the broth a naturally smooth and slightly thickened body without any added starch, and adjusting the amount of rice water controls the final consistency. Korean radish, zucchini, and tofu contribute natural sweetness that balances the saltiness of the fermented paste, while garlic and cheongyang green chili add heat and depth. A tablespoon of perilla oil added just before the pot comes off the heat releases a distinctive nutty fragrance that permeates the entire stew and deepens its character. Served in a dolsot earthenware pot that keeps the stew bubbling at the table, every spoonful stays hot to the last. The longer the ugeoji simmers, the more it softens and melds with the doenjang broth, producing the layered, slow-cooked depth that defines this classic Korean home-cooked stew.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

blanched napa outer leaves (ugeoji)300 gg

soybean paste3 tbsptbsp

Korean chili paste½ tbsptbsp

Korean radish180 gg

zucchini120 gg

firm tofu250 gg

green onion40 gg

minced garlic1 tbsptbsp

rice-rinse water1200 mlml

perilla oil1 tbsptbsp

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Instructions

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

6 steps

1

Prep

Rinse 300 g blanched napa outer leaves briefly in cold water, squeeze them very firmly, and cut them into 4 cm lengths.

Massage in 1 tablespoon doenjang so the paste reaches between the folded leaves.
2

Control

Slice 180 g Korean radish into thin half-moons and place it in a pot with 1200 ml rice-rinse water.

Bring it up over high heat, then skim off foam as soon as the liquid starts boiling.
3

Control

Lower the heat to medium and simmer the radish for 5 minutes, until the edges look slightly translucent.

Press the remaining 2 tablespoons doenjang and 0.5 tablespoon gochujang through a sieve into the broth.
4

Control

Add the seasoned ugeoji, and when the broth returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low.

Simmer gently for 12 minutes, until the stems loosen and soften without the broth reducing too aggressively.
5

Heat

Cut 120 g zucchini into half-moons and 250 g firm tofu into 2 cm pieces, then add them to the pot.

Cook 8 more minutes, keeping the zucchini intact while the tofu heats through.
6

Control

Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 40 g diagonally sliced green onion, then simmer for 2 minutes.

Just before turning off the heat, drizzle in 1 tablespoon perilla oil so its nutty aroma stays fresh.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Ugeoji-doenjang-jjigae utilizes rice water and pre-seasoned napa cabbage leaves to achieve a smooth, comforting body, finished with a fragrant splash of toasted perilla oil.
Finish cue: Lower the heat to medium and simmer the radish for 5 minutes, until the edges look slightly translucent.
Avoid this: Ugeoji-doenjang-jjigae simmers the tough outer leaves of napa cabbage in rice-rinse water with doenjang and a spoonful of gochujang into a deeply savory, comforting stew.