Make Park Saeroyi proud with your home-cooked soft tofu stew!
If you haven’t started watching Itaewon Class, we hate to tell you this, but you’re missing out! Apart from ogling at the ever-charming Park Seo Joon, who plays protagonist Park Saeroyi, the other star of the show is definitely the food, and more specifically - the soft tofu stew.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Food is an integral part of the series, not only because it is the industry wherein the characters are a part of, but more importantly, it demonstrates the experiences, obstacles and emotions the characters embark on throughout the show.
Photo Credit: JTBC
You’ll notice that the soft tofu stew (with a side of soju) dish makes a recurring appearance throughout the 16-episode series. If you’ve seen Itaewon Class, you can probably agree that it’s made you drool a little bit once or twice. Check out the recipe below and find out how you can make this at home!
How To Make Soft Tofu Stew (Sundubu-jjigae)
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Soft tofu stew (sundubu-jjigae in Korean) uses silken tofu as its main ingredient - a local Korean delicacy. This is a popular dish among its locals and is often considered a comfort dish. Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to make, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll surely find yourself whipping it up whenever the craving kicks in!
Recipe Credit: Seonkyoung Longest of Asian At Home
What you’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon (increase depending on preferred level of spiciness) of Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) OR 2 tablespoons of Gochujang
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- ¼ of White onion, diced
- 2 Green Onions (separate white and green parts)
- 3 anchovies in olive oil OR 1 ½ cup anchovy broth
- 4 oz. of your choice of beef or pork (optional)
- ½ cup of fermented kimchi, chopped into small pieces
- 1 ¼ cup of beef stock or anchovy broth
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 12 oz. of silken tofu
- 1 egg (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Photo Credit: FuReal via pixabay.com
Steps:
- In a Korean clay pot (or dutch oven) if available, add in your 1 tablespoon of gochugaru and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. If you do not have gochugaru, add in two to three tablespoons of gochujang depending on your preferred level of spiciness.
- Add in your 3 fillets of anchovies (soaked in olive oil) into the pot. If you do not have anchovies, skip this step and add in anchovy broth later into the recipe (step 7)
- Add in your 2 cloves of garlic, ¼ cup of diced white onion, and 2 green onions (only the white part), chopped.
- Mix everything together and put on the stove at medium heat for about 5-7 minutes.
- Once it starts to bubble a little bit, increase to medium to high heat and add in your 4 oz. of meat, cut into half-inch cubes/slices (beef or pork, up to you!) Cook the meat for 3-5 minutes until no longer pink. Adding meat is also optional, you can skip this step if you don’t intend to add meat into your sundubu-jjigae.
- Add in your ½ cup of fermented kimchi (chopped into bite-sized pieces).
- Add in 1 ¼ cup beef stock OR if you don’t have anchovies, use 1 ¼ cup anchovy stock instead.
- Season the broth with 1 teaspoon of salt and bring soup to boil.
- Add in 12 oz. of silken tofu; be careful not to break down the tofu too much! As it is very soft, it will easily melt into the soup. Break the tofu into minimum 2.5-inch cubes to still get those delicious tofu chunks.
- Bring the soup to a boil; let boil for 2-3 minutes. Add in green onions on top (optional).
- (Optional) While it’s boiling, crack an egg on top and season with a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve while slightly boiling with a side of soju!
