Weeknight Doenjang Jjigae with Pork and Silken Tofu

⏱ 35 min · Serves 4

A deeply savoury Korean soybean paste stew that tastes like it's been simmering all day but comes together in half an hour. Nutty doenjang, sweet courgette, soft tofu and a little pork belly for richness — spoon it over hot rice and let the steam do the rest.

Per serving: 420 kcal · 24.0g protein · 24.0g carbs · 26.0g fat

Ingredients

• 200g pork belly or pork shoulder, thinly sliced
• 1.2 litres anchovy or rice-rinse water (or light chicken stock)
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 medium courgette, half-mooned
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1cm slices
• 4 tbsp doenjang (Korean soybean paste)
• 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
• 1 tsp gochujang (optional, for depth)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 300g silken or medium-firm tofu, cut into thick slabs
• 1 green chilli, sliced
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• 3 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
• 1 handful enoki or 4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• Steamed short-grain rice, to serve

Method

1. Heat the sesame oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pork and stir-fry 3-4 minutes until the fat renders and the edges brown.
2. Add the onion, garlic and gochugaru and stir for 1 minute until fragrant and glossy red.
3. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add the potato and simmer 8 minutes until almost tender.
4. Whisk the doenjang (and gochujang, if using) into a ladleful of the hot broth in a small bowl until smooth, then stir it back into the pot. Simmer 5 minutes.
5. Add the courgette and mushrooms and cook 4 minutes.
6. Slide in the tofu slabs, then the chillies and spring onions. Simmer gently 3-4 minutes more — don't stir hard or the tofu will break.
7. Taste: add a little more doenjang for saltiness or a splash of water if too strong. Serve bubbling hot with bowls of steamed rice.