CHAMCHI SOONDOOBOO JJIGAE
CHAMCHI SOONDOOBOO JJIGAE
#SIAintheKitchen
Ahhhh, a classic! I haven’t made chamchi soondooboo jjigae since my Umami & Me days. And that was a LONG time ago. Thought I would revisit it and see if I could make any tweaks. I’ve got to say, the 2020 recipe has improved drastically!
A few things:
“chamchi” = tuna
“soondooboo” = soft/silken tofu
“jjigae” - stew
Chamchi soondooboo jjigae is a direct translation of what the dish entails. It is a Korean that spicy, bubbling and delicious, especially served with hot white rice on a cold winter’s day. Hell, it’s the beginning of spring at the time of writing this and it was a warm but windy 14C this morning. Since I had made budae jjigae the night before, I had most of the ingredients on-hand already. In fact, a lot of these ingredients you’ll find in your pantry or fridge anyways. With my additions, I was really able to elevate this and bring it to the next level.
My newest additions to this dish would be the inclusion of fine shrimp paste (mam tom), fried shrimps in soybean oil and a dash of fish sauce. Fermented umami heaven! The trio of these ingredients really deepens the flavour here eliminating any wateriness. Reminded me of the days when we were able to go to restaurants. How that felt like almost a lifetime ago. Thankfully I can make restaurant-quality food right in the comfort of my own home.
The whole dish comes together in under 30 minutes including prep. You really don’t have any excuses here in regards to not making this dish. None. Nada. Let’s get to it.
CHAMCHI SOONDOOBOO JJIGAE - serves 2 - 4
2 cups kimchi, with juices, chopped (the older and more sour the better)
1 small onion, sliced
1 tbsp gochugaru
3 heaping tbsp gochujang
1 tsp dashi powder
1 tbsp fine shrimp paste (mam tom)
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp fried shrimps in soybean oil (optional)
1 (142g) can tuna (any variety, but Korean is preferred)
2 cups water
1 (11oz) pkg silken tofu in tube
1 (3.5oz) pkg enoki mushrooms, ends trimmed
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, as needed
1 egg (optional)
In a medium-sized pot, dry saute the kimchi over medium-high heat to mellow out the sourness for about 3 minutes.
Add in the gochugaru, onion, gochujang, shrimp paste, fish sauce, dashi powder, and tuna. Stir to combine. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a rolling simmer. Squeeze the tofu from the tube directly into the pot. Break up the large chunks of tofu with a spoon. Add in the enoki mushrooms and green onions to the pot to wilt.
When ready to serve, bring the heat back up and add the egg in the centre of the pot. Cover and bring to the table. Serve with white rice.