Tofu Stew

A while ago, I did a post on silken tofu stew but today's post is just regular tofu stew. It's pretty much the same thing except I used a firm tofu because I was in the mood for a firmer texture tofu.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb tofu (firm or soft or whatever you prefer)
1-1/2 tablespoons hot pepper flakes (gochugaru - adjust to your spice tolerance; 1 teaspoon for mild, 3 tablespoons for fiery hot)
1 tablespoon oil (olive, canola, vegetable, any neutral-flavor oil)
1-1/2 cups water or broth
1/2 cup frozen seafood (to flavor the stock; frozen shrimp or a piece of chicken or beef or pork would also work)
1/2 cup chopped kimchi with the juice
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 Korean long hot pepper (use more or less depending on how spicy the pepper actually is - sometimes they're really mild and other times they'll set your eyebrows on fire)
1/2 tablespoon hot pepper paste (gochujang)
1 teaspoon fermented bean paste (dwenjang) - miso is an acceptable substitution
1/2 cup chopped squash (I used zucchini)
1 egg, room temperature

Start by heating oil in a pot (I used a stone pot that's specifically for making jjigae) and add hot pepper flakes and garlic. Stir to coat everything evenly in oil and wait for the pot to heat up enough to allow ingredients to begin sizzling. Add in water (or broth) immediately so that the hot pepper flakes don't burn. Add in seafood, kimchi, salt, hot pepper, hot pepper paste, and bean paste. Stir to dissolve the pastes and to combine all ingredients.

Add tofu and squash and allow the soup to come to a boil. Let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes, which should be enough time to allow the squash and tofu have absorbed the flavor of the soup. Crank up the heat so the soup is boiling furiously so that the pot will still be bubbling when you serve it.

Bring to the table immediately and crack in the egg. Stir with a spoon to pop yolk and mix the egg into the stew.

Eat and enjoy.

Here's the recipe page.  A few of the instructions might not jive 100% with the above photo diary, as I didn't follow my own recipe to a T, but either way, the results will still be 100% delicious.