Doenjang Jjigae (Bean Paste Stew)

I've recently been making bean paste stew for dinner because of the cold winter nights.  I never get sick and tired of this comforting Korean dish.   Soondubu jjigae (soft tofu stew) is another one of my favorite but I'll get to that on a separate post.  You can buy doenjang or soy bean paste, which is used as the base, at any Korean markets.

The recipe I used was adapted from several websites.  Sometimes I add dried anchovies but without it is plenty flavorful too.  I cooked the stew in a ceramic pot and served it boiling hot with a bowl of white rice.  Perfect the meal with a variety of side dishes (banchan) to accompany it.

Doenjang Jjigae

2 T soy bean paste (doenjang)
sesame oil

5 cloves of garlic, minced

7-8 pieces of dried anchovies (optional)

1 chili pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, roughly sliced
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 zucchini,  cut into chunks
mushrooms, halved
1/2 block tofu (firm or soft), cut into cubes
1 green onion, chopped
gochugaru (optional)

1.  Prepare the vegetables and tofu.  If using anchovies, remove heads and intestines, then chop them up.
2.  Heat up sesame oil in ceramic pot and add garlic and soy bean paste to toast slightly about 30 seconds.
4.  Add water to fill pot almost halfway, then add anchovies, chili, onions and potatoes.  Let cook for a few minutes.
5.  Add zucchini and mushrooms and let it cook until the potato is almost tender. Stir occasionally.
6.  When the stew is boiling and all the ingredients are about cooked, mix in the tofu and top with chopped green onions.
7.  Sprinkle some gochugaru (red pepper flakes) over the stew and serve hot with a bowl of rice.  Enjoy!

Serves 3-4.