Doenjang jjigae (Korean beef stew)

Doenjang jjigae (Korean beef stew)
Prepare
less than 30 mins
Cook
10 to 30 mins
Serve
Serves 4

Doenjang jjigae is one of the two – the other being more widely known kimchi jjigae – common everyday staple stews that spells home comfort.

While more traditionally a light fish based stock made from dried anchovies and dried kelp known as dasima is used, fish sauce can work a treat to give the stew similar depth of flavour along with deeply savoury doenjang.

By Su Scott

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Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 200g/7oz steak (bavette, ribeye, sirloin or rump all work well), sliced thinly into strips
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 tbsp doenjang (Korean fermented bean paste)
  • 2 tsp gochujang (Korean red chilli paste)
  • 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • ½ onion, chopped (about 1cm/½in thick)
  • 150g/5½oz potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 200g/7oz courgette, quartered and cut into bitesize chunks
  • 200g/7oz firm tofu, cubed into bitesize pieces
  • 100g/3½oz mushrooms (any type), quartered or roughly sliced
  • 2 jalapeño chillies, sliced
  • 2 spring onions, sliced (reserve some for garnish)
  • sea salt flakes, to taste
  • steamed short-grain rice, to serve
How-to videos

Method

  1. Heat both the oils in a large lidded heavy-based casserole or a saucepan. Add the beef and garlic and gently fry over a medium heat for about 3 minutes until lightly coloured.

  2. Stir in the doenjang, gochujang and gochugaru and cook briefly to incorporate everything together. Add 800ml/1⅓ pint water and the fish sauce, and bring to the boil.

  3. Add the onion, potato, courgette, tofu and mushrooms. Bring it back to the boil, then simmer with the lid ajar for 25 minutes or until everything is cooked and the vegetables are tender.

  4. Check for seasoning and adjust with a pinch more salt, if necessary. Add the jalapeño chillies and spring onion. Cook for a further 2 minutes with the lid on.

  5. Divide the stew into four bowls. Top with reserved spring onion and serve immediately while steaming hot with steamed short grain rice.