Soondubu jjigae (Korean Soft Tofu Stew)

I absolutely love tofu soup! I frequented Kaju in Garden Grove, CA often and always enjoyed the combination tofu stew with beef and seafood! Mmmmm. I decided to take on this recipe because it has been so cold lately and this is the perfect dish for said weather! Check out Maangchi's website for more authentic and delicious Korean recipes! She is a fellow New Yorker! Her instructions are easy to follow and it really helps that she also records herself making the food! I easily found all the ingredients at H Mart and love this store because the produce is cheaper than American stores. It is reminiscent of home for me! It gets pretty hectic over the weekend, so beware! Serve this dish with a side of rice or eat it by itself! Either way, you will not be disappointed! Happy cooking!

Yields: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
Stock
5 cups of water
12 dried anchovies, intestines removed
1/3 cup dried kelp
1/2 small or medium onion
5 cloves garlic, peeled and ends cut
3 dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed under cold water

2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 lb. beef (I got pre-sliced ones)
2-5 tbsp. hot pepper powder
1 cup mixed seafood, fresh or frozen
3 shrimp, optional
2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tubes of soft tofu
2 green onions, roughly chopped
1 green chili pepper, thinly sliced
sesame oil, to drizzle
2 eggs

Directions:
1. Prepare the stock by adding the water, dried anchovies, dried kelp, onion, garlic cloves, and dried shiitake mushrooms into a pot. Boil over high heat, approximately 10 minutes. Once boiling, lower heat to low-medium and allow it to simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Strain stock and set aside, keeping the mushroom for use in the stew.

2. Rinse the mushrooms under cold water so that it is not too hot to handle. Chop them up into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. (My significant other does not like mushrooms, so I omitted them)

3. Heat a large Earthen ware or ceramic pot (optional...you can use a regular medium pot if you must) on medium-high and add 2 tsp. olive oil. Chop the beef and add it to the hot pot. Immediately add the chopped shiitake mushrooms and 2 - 5 tbsp. of hot pepper powder and stir for another minute.
2 tbsp. = mild, 3 tbsp. = medium, 4 tbsp. = hot, 5 tbsp. = extremely spicy

4. Pour 2 cups of the stock into the pot (add a little less if you enjoy the stew with less liquid). Add the mixed seafood and shrimp and fish sauce. Stir to mix.

5. Cut the 2 tubes of soft tofu in half and add it to the pot. Break up the tofu with a spoon several times.

6. When it boils, add the green onions and green chili pepper and carefully mix to distribute (I removed the seeds because I was afraid the dish might be too spicy with it).

7. Crack eggs and drizzle a little sesame oil on top. Allow the eggs to cook a bit over the heat before removing the pot off the heat and serving! Enjoy!