~518 cal · 66g protein · 8g carbs · 27g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Bubbling red soft tofu stew in a stone pot with an egg
🇰🇷 Gyeongsang (Busan)
Sundubu-jjigae arrives still boiling in its stone pot — the egg goes in at the table, cooking in the broth while you watch. Busan’s port-side counters made the dish famous, spooning silken tofu that shatters like custard into chili-laced broth.
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Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 2 —
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1 lb tube or block extra-soft (sundubu) tofu
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2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
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2.5 cups anchovy-kelp stock
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1/2 lb clams or shrimp (optional but classic)
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1/2 cup kimchi, chopped (check label for fish sauce if vegan)
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
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2 eggs
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2 scallions, sliced
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2 bowls steamed rice, to serve
Instructions
1
Bloom the gochugaru and garlic in sesame oil over medium heat, 1 minute — don’t let it scorch.
2
Add the kimchi and fry 2 minutes, then pour in the stock and simmer 5.
3
Add the clams (or mushrooms) and cook until opened (or tender).
4
Slide in the soft tofu in big spoonfuls — barely stir; the curds should stay cloud-like.
5
Bring to a hard bubble, crack the eggs in, scatter scallions, and serve immediately with rice while it still roars.
Busan counter-stew tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Gyeongsang (Busan). Korea’s port city, where tofu stew bubbles at every counter.
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South Korea. Fermentation nation — kimchi, gochujang, and shared tables.
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Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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