Here's the recipe for a staple Korean dish, soondubu (or soft tofu stew)! Many restaurants actually specialize in this dish alone, and they offer many different varieties of the dish, allowing you to choose between seafood, meat, kimchi, clear broth, etc. My favorite kind is with kimchi and pork so that's what I used here, but feel free to substitute with seafood, beef, or other protein (or just keep it vegetarian!). Again, like most dishes that require cooking with kimchi, this dish will taste better the more fermented/sour the kimchi is!
Read Moredakdoritang (닭도리탕)- spicy korean chicken stew with potatoes
It's been a rainy few days in Baltimore, which means I'd rather curl up in my apartment with a hearty dish rather than venture out to restaurants and getting drenched in the process. I don't know if it's because my mom used to make this on rainy days, but dakdoritang is definitely one of the foods I crave the most on dreary, drizzly days. It's one of the most well-known dishes in Korean cuisine, and for a good reason; chicken and hearty vegetables are simmered in a spicy, flavorful sauce that tastes complex with layers of flavor. Perhaps one reason this dish is popular is that the cooking techniques involved here are not rocket-science; the method is rather simple, but what's more important is finding the right balance of flavors, between the salty, sweet, and spicy-- feel free to kick up or lower the heat, depending on your preference. Remember, if you made a dish too sweet by accident, you can always add more salt (or soy sauce in this case), and vice versa: if the dish seems too salty, add more sugar or add more water to dilute it. This dish also has many variations in that some people prefer it very thick and stew-like, while some people prefer to have it thinner. If you wish to simmer for a longer time or need to re-heat it the day after, I would suggest stirring it occasionally and adding water periodically as you go. This dish tastes even better the day or two after, so feel free to make a huge batch!
Read Morekimchi jjigae with pork (kimchi stew) (돼지고기 김치찌개)
One of the most popular stews/jjigae in Korea...! There's many, many variations of Kimchi Jjigae- vegetarian that includes tofu or silken tofu, or with tuna, seafood, beef, sausage, ham, or pork--! I guess that just shows how much Koreans love kimchi, and how this spicy ingredient is so versatile and complements a wide variety of other ingredients. My favorite type of kimchi jjigae is with pork-- the hearty pork balances nicely with the light tofu, and contributes a wonderful flavor to the overall dish. I used pork tenderloin, but you can use really any cut of pork that is tender (I've used pork neck several times before). I usually include rice cakes to add another starchy element to the stew, but if you don't have it on hand, you may omit it. This jjigae tastes better when you use overly ripe, sour kimchi, so don't throw away that kimchi that's sitting in your fridge, but use it to make stew!
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