Doenjang Jjigae: Korean Fermented Soybean Paste Stew

Doenjang jjigae is a hearty stew made with Korean fermented soybean paste, tofu, and assorted vegetables like potatoes, mushrooms, mu (Korean radish), squash, and onions. You can also include meat, like sliced brisket, or seafood, like shrimp, squid, or clams. Ingredients vary according to personal preference, but the texture is fairly specific: Doenjang jjigae has a thick, stew-like consistency, while doenjang guk has a brothier texture with a higher ratio of water or stock.

Cooks typically prepare and serve doenjang jjigae in a ttukbaegi, a glazed earthenware cooking vessel, along with steamed rice and banchan (side dishes).

Before you make this Korean home cooking staple for the first time, be sure to have these ingredients on hand so you can do the dish justice.

1. 1. Doenjang: This Korean fermented soybean paste is a crucial, umami-rich ingredient in many Korean dishes, most notably in sauces like ssamjang. Doenjang, which ferments for a minimum of six weeks, has an earthy, savory saltiness and a chunkier texture than Japanese miso, which can also include grains like rice. You’ll find tubs of both seasoned and unseasoned doenjang paste in Asian grocery stores; go for the unseasoned option, which will allow greater control when seasoning the final stew.
2. 2. Tofu: You can use most varieties of tofu in doenjang jjigae, whether tender, melty pieces of soft tofu or bouncy cubes of firm tofu. Silken tofu, however, won’t hold its shape when stirred into the mixture.
   
3. 3. Cooking liquid: Most doenjang jjigae recipes call for myeolchi yuksu, a briny anchovy stock that’s Korean food’s answer to dashi. You can make your own by boiling with dried anchovies and kelp directly into the stew (in a sachet for easy removal), or simply use an instant dashi packet. Alternatively, skip the yuksu and use rice water, the starchy byproduct of rinsing rice before steaming.