Dubu-jorim (braised tofu) might just be a dump-and-simmer dish, but once you’ve made a batch, it becomes such a reliable side dish to have on hand.
This time I added ground pork for extra savory depth and used a generous 1kg of tofu to make it nice and hearty.
As the natural sweetness from the vegetables mingles with the seasoning and soaks into the tofu, you’ll find yourself polishing off a bowl of rice in no time.
Ingredients
- Tofu – 1kg (about 2.2 lbs)
- Onion – 1
- Green onion – 1 stalk
- Cheongyang chili – 2 (Korean spicy green chili pepper; can substitute with jalapeño or serrano pepper)
- Ground pork – 250g (about 8.8 oz)
- Pepper – to taste
- Salt – a pinch
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Jin-ganjang – 3 T (Korean soy sauce for cooking; regular soy sauce works fine as a substitute)
- Oyster sauce – 1 T
- Anchovy fish sauce – 1 T (myeolchi aekjeot; can substitute with Thai fish sauce)
- Gochugaru – 4 T (Korean red chili pepper flakes)
- Sugar – 1 T
- Minced garlic – 1 T
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
1Trim and cut the onion, green onion, and cheongyang chili as shown, and cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces.
2Mix together all the sauce ingredients to make the seasoning sauce.
3Line the bottom of the pot with the onion, then stack the tofu neatly on top.
4Add the ground pork on top, then pour in the seasoning sauce and add the green onion and cheongyang chili.
5Pour in just enough water to barely cover the ingredients.
TipVegetables release a lot of moisture as they cook, so it’s best not to add too much water at the start — add more gradually while simmering if needed.
6Keep it at a gentle simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.
7Finish by topping with green onion and sesame seeds.TipBraised dishes like this taste even better after cooling and reheating — as it cools, the tofu and vegetables absorb the seasoning more deeply, giving the dish a richer, more balanced flavor.
Dubu-jorim is simple to make, yet it delivers both great flavor and solid nutrition — a true home-cooked comfort food.
Loading it up with plenty of tofu makes it filling, and since it naturally packs in lots of vegetables too, it’s a dish worth making again and again.
Make a generous batch and enjoy it all the way through your next meal.
Ingredients
- Tofu – 1kg (about 2.2 lbs)
- Onion – 1
- Green onion – 1 stalk
- Cheongyang chili – 2 (Korean spicy green chili pepper; can substitute with jalapeño or serrano pepper)
- Ground pork – 250g (about 8.8 oz)
- Pepper – to taste
- Salt – a pinch
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Jin-ganjang – 3 T (Korean soy sauce for cooking; regular soy sauce works fine as a substitute)
- Oyster sauce – 1 T
- Anchovy fish sauce – 1 T (myeolchi aekjeot; can substitute with Thai fish sauce)
- Gochugaru – 4 T (Korean red chili pepper flakes)
- Sugar – 1 T
- Minced garlic – 1 T
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
- Trim and cut the onion, green onion, and cheongyang chili as shown, and cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix together all the sauce ingredients to make the seasoning sauce.
- Line the bottom of the pot with the onion, then stack the tofu neatly on top.
- Add the ground pork on top, then pour in the seasoning sauce and add the green onion and cheongyang chili.
- Pour in just enough water to barely cover the ingredients.
Tip.Vegetables release a lot of moisture as they cook, so it's best not to add too much water at the start — add more gradually while simmering if needed. - Keep it at a gentle simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.
- Finish by topping with green onion and sesame seeds.
Tip.Braised dishes like this taste even better after cooling and reheating — as it cools, the tofu and vegetables absorb the seasoning more deeply, giving the dish a richer, more balanced flavor.
