Inbebo Recipes: Classic Korean Soul Food, Sogogi Doenjang-Jjigae
Doenjang-jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew) is a hearty, delicious, warm, and comforting everyday stew that Koreans love. Sogogi doenjang-jigae has so many variations that folks can happily and comfortably eat this dish several times a week with rice and kimchi. Some recipes use shrimp, anchovy stock, and vegetables while others are more adventurous and can include scallops! The classic though-- is beef as the hero ingredient, preferably a little fatty, marbled cut that will give the broth a rich flavor and allows you to leave out the cooking oil.
Tip: You may be tempted to be generous and load the stew with more ingredients, but adding 4 ounces of each, as I do in this recipe, will make for a well-proportioned stew with plenty of broth.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces any cuts of beef (or ground beef), cut very thinly
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 ounces potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
- 4 ounces onion, cut into ½-inch dice
- 4 ounces zucchini, cut into ½-inch dice
- ¼ cup doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
- 4 ounces medium-firm tofu, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 green chili pepper or jalapeño, sliced
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes; optional
Direction
- Place a heavy, medium-sized pot over medium heat. When it is hot, add the vegetable oil, beef, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the beef is no longer pink. Add 2 cups of water.
- Cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. If it begins to boil over, crack the lid.
- Add the potato, onion, zucchini, and doenjang
- Cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir the stew to make sure that the soybean paste is evenly incorporated.
- Add the tofu, green chili pepper, green onion, and gochu-garu (if used).
- Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tofu softens, and the stew is bubbling. Serve right away with rice, kimchi, and more side dishes.
- You can refrigerate the stew for up to 3 days. When you want to have some, reheat gently on top of the stove.
Source: Maangchi
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