Yuensub's Dubu Jorim & Oyi Geotjeori

Simple vegan childhood tofu and kimchi recipe of the globe-trotting K-food ambassador from Seoul

Yuensub was born very close to the city centre, in Seoul. From her grandfather’s house in the mountains, she watched the big “blue house where the President lives”. 

“Every morning my grandfather used to take me up hiking to the mountains about 5:30 am. We would always bring back spring water which my grandmother used to make breakfast.”

Ancestral ceremonies were Yuensub’s first encounter with Korean cuisine.

Entire families came together around tables full of food. To mark the day when a grandparent passed away. Or, sometimes at festivals like new year’s eve or the mid-autumn day. 

Yuensub’s mother and grandmother cooked during these celebrations. But they were catering to 40 people. And Yuensub gave them a helping hand. That’s how she learned the art of Korean cooking. 

After Yuensub got married, she moved out of Korea with her husband. She lived in Yemen, China, Mongolia and many other places. Travelling the world, everywhere she went, she thought it was her duty to introduce Korean food to the people she met. 

“No one makes kimchi at home anymore in Korea because they just order it. But here you can't do that. So you have no choice, but to make everything on your own, and I think it’s so much more powerful, you know, to be able to preserve those traditions.”

Yuensub loves busting myths around Korean food. And, sadly, there are many.

A common one, for instance, is that it’s all meat. Yuensub tells us that’s not true. In fact, the cuisine is mainly vegetarian. Korea traditionally was a farming culture with cattle being a part of the labour force. So you wouldn’t consume cattle-based meat carelessly. (Her family ate beef only once a month.)

Another one is that it’s all spicy. But, you’ll see when making this recipe, that home-cooked Korean food is way less spicy than what you would find in a restaurant.

Yuensub teaches Korean. She finds that teaching language can’t be separated from culture. And culture can’t be separated from cuisine—especially in Korea. “Have you eaten?” in Korean, to give you an example, is a greeting as important as “Hello”.

“I remember my grandmother and my mum would never send the postman off without giving him a glass of tea or something because that's the Korean tradition.”

Yuensub's recommendations

We asked Yuensub what she recommends if you want to glimpse her cultural universe. She suggested the song Dear Mother (어머님께), and these movies:

• Ode to my Father

• Little Forest

• Let's Eat (this one’s on Viki)

• Wok of love (A Korean drama based in a Chinese restaurant)

The recipes (takes 30 mins, serves 4)

Two recipes this time: Spicy Dubu Jorim (Braised Tofu) & Geotjeori (Cucumber Kimchi) *bonus*

Dubu Jorim is a staple dish on a Korean table. One Yuensub used to pack in her school lunchbox every day, and it wasn’t just her favourite…

“My friends and I would always share our side dishes, my Dubujorim would be always the first to go.

It’s a super quick dish that my mum would whip up when we didn’t have enough banchan (side dish) on the table. It can be served with steamed rice as a side.”

For a complete meal, have it with fresh cucumber kimchi (Oyi Geotjeori). A simple salad like kimchi that doesn't need fermenting. That’s why it’s a dish Yuensub makes when she’s tired of eating sour fermented kimchi.

Ingredients for Spicy Dubu Jorim

For Tofu:

• Tofu 1 pack ( Yuensub recommends Cauldron Organic Tofu 396g)

• 1 tbsp cornflour (optional)

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• Salt and pepper (a pinch each)

• 1 Pakchoi leaf separated and washed (optional)

For Sauce:

• 1-2 spring onion(s) (10cm, finely chopped)

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1/2 tbsp red chilli or 1/4 tbsp red pepper

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 1/2 tbsp sugar or honey

• 2 tsp cooking wine or white wine

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds (optional)

• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

Steps:

1. Drain the tofu and pat it dry with a kitchen towel

2. Cut the tofu (5x3) and season it with salt and pepper

3. Turn the heat to medium and put oil in the frying pan

4. Fry onion and garlic until slightly soft and then put the tofu in

5. Fry the tofu until it is nice and golden then lower the heat

6. Put all the sauce ingredients together and mix

7. Pour the sauce over the tofu

8. Arrange the green chillies and spring onions on the tofu, put the heat on low, leave to simmer for 5 min and serve!

9. Dubu is a great 'anju’ (side dish for alcohol) for Makgeolli, rice wine. Enjoy it with a drink and show us how it comes out @joindiaspo

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Ingredients for Oyi Geotjeori (Cucumber Kimchi)