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Korean

Sundubu jjigae

Non-vegetarian

순두부찌개 · sundubu jjigae

A fiery, silky stew of very soft tofu, clams and vegetables in a chilli-oil broth, with an egg cracked in just before serving.

Sundubu jjigae is a Korean stew from South Korea, ready in about 30 minutes and made with red chilli flakes and silken tofu. It serves 2 and is rated easy to cook.

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A vibrant, healthy vegan meal featuring tofu stew with rice and vegetables, perfect for food enthusiasts.
Photo: Cynthia Ortega Espinosa / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Serves
2
Level
Easy
Calories
508

Ingredients

2 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Warm both oils in a heavy pan over low heat. Stir in the chilli flakes (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) and cook gently until the oil turns red — do not let it scorch.

  2. Step 2

    Add the onion (opens in a new tab) and pork and fry until the pork is no longer pink.

    • 4 min
    • medium heat

    Food safety: Wash hands after handling raw pork.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Pour in the water, soy sauce (opens in a new tab) and fish sauce (opens in a new tab) and bring to a boil. Add the clams (opens in a new tab) and zucchini (opens in a new tab) and simmer until the clams open.

    • 6 min
    • medium heat

    Food safety: Discard any clams that do not open.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Spoon in the tofu in large pieces, season with salt and simmer gently until hot through.

    • 4 min
    • medium-low heat

  5. Step 5

    Crack the eggs (opens in a new tab) into the bubbling stew, scatter with spring onion (opens in a new tab) and serve immediately — the egg cooks in the heat of the bowl.

    • 2 min

    Food safety: Simmer a minute longer to set the egg if serving vulnerable people.

    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
South Korea · Well documentedAlso popular in United StatesMore food from South Korea
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Soups · Main courses
Cooking method
Stewed, Simmered
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), umami, savoury
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein
With the listed swaps: Pescatarian, Pork-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Everyday
Cook more with
Red chilli flakes · Silken tofu · Toasted sesame oil · Garlic · Onion · Ground pork
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom fish sauce
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Molluscsfrom clams
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce, silken tofu
  • Contains: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

508 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 630 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 26%
  • Carbohydrate 11%
  • Fat 63%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy508 kcal81 kcal
Protein34 g5.4 g
Carbohydrate14.2 g2.3 g
Net carbohydrate10.8 g1.7 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.4 g0.5 g
Fat36.9 g5.9 g
Saturated fat8.2 g1.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol230 mg36 mg
Sodium1268 mg201 mg
Salt equivalent3.2 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
829 mg
Calcium
308 mg
Iron
4.8 mg
Magnesium
108 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
233 µg
Vitamin C
21 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
3.6 µg
Folate (DFE)
140 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Red chilli flakes: Ground cayenne (FDC 170932) used as a stand-in for dried chilli flakes such as pul biber or Aleppo pepper.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Break the tofu into large spoonfuls rather than cubes for the classic silky texture.

Common mistakes

  • Scorching the chilli flakes in step 1 makes the whole stew bitter — keep the heat low.
  • Stirring after the tofu goes in breaks it into mush; spoon it in and only nudge.

Serve with

  • Serve bubbling with rice and kimchi.

Storage

  • Best eaten fresh.

Variations

  • Haemul sundubu: A seafood version with shrimp, mussels and squid.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 3, 4, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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