Soohn Tofu Jigae: Korean Stew

Last weekend I got to go home for Labor Day weekend, and my mom made this stew.  Soohn Tofu is a very soft version of tofu that looks like this in the package.

 

I have eaten this jigae (Korean for 'stew') for my entire lifetime, but I only just learned how to make it.  It's somewhat spicy and goes really well with a bowl of rice.  And it was surprisingly easy to make.

Ingredients:
-1 package of soohn tofu (extra soft Korean tofu)
-1 cup frozen seafood mix (you can substitute shrimp too)
-2 tsp vegetable oil
-2 tbsps hot peppers, chopped
-1/2 a large onion
-2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-various vegetables (zucchini, carrots, etc.) chopped
-1 tbsp hot pepper powder
-3 cups water
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-salt to taste
-1 egg

1.  First, on low heat, saute the frozen seafood mix in a pan with a little oil.  My mom used the kind that looks like this, which she found at the Asian market.

You can also use frozen shrimp, frozen clams, or whatever you happen to have on hand.

2.  Add hot peppers, vegetables (zucchini, carrots, etc.), onion, and garlic.  Stir the whole mix around.

3.  Then, add your hot pepper powder.  It is imperative that your heat is real low, cuz otherwise the pepper will burn and you will cough your brains out for the next 5 minutes.

Stirring around the hot pepper in the low heat releases the oils in the pepper and creates a nice base for the stew.

4.  Now, add water and raise the heat up to high!  Bring the stew to a boil.

5.  Cut open the package of tofu...

And dump it into the pot!

Break it up with a spatula.

6.  Add the soy sauce and teeny bit of salt.

7.  Then, take an egg and beat it in a separate bowl

Then pour it slowly over the top of the soup.

Don't stir it around...it looks much prettier if you leave it to cook where it falls.

Serve in a nice serving bowl like this.

It's so delicious and quick to make (as Korean food goes). The spicy isn't overwhelming (not like, dduk bok ki or anything) but it definitely delivers the heat.  It goes well with a hot bowl of rice, and it is a fantastic stew for cold weather. 

 

Mmm, are you loving this?

 

I know all my Asians out there are salivating, at least ;)

Also, if you wanna order it at a Korean restaurant, the correct pronunciation of this is [su:n dubu dʒʼigɛ], where [dʒʼ] is a tensed, unaspirated variant of the English [dʒ].

If you're not a linguist, say it something like "soon doo boo jee geh". 

For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.