Tom Yum Sundubu Jjigae

Method

1. Bash the lemongrass with the back of a knife and cut it into 4 cm lengths. Tear the lime leaves off their central rib. Thinly slice the ginger and split the chilies. Quarter the mushrooms, slice the onion thickly and cut the cilantro into 3 cm lengths.

2. Put the oil, garlic and chili flakes in a 18 cm pot and stir over low heat for 1 min to make a red chili oil. As soon as it smells toasty, move on.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil 1 tbspMinced garlic 2 tspKorean chili flakes (gochugaru) 1 tbsp

   low heat

3. Add the stock, lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger and chilies. Bring to a boil over high heat, about 4 min, then turn down to medium heat and steep for 5 min. The broth should smell bright and citrusy.

   Add in this stepChicken stock 500 mlLemongrass stalks 1Makrut lime leaves 3Fresh ginger (or galangal) 5 gThai bird's eye chilies 1

   high heat→medium heat

4. Add the onion and mushrooms and simmer over medium heat for 3 min, until the mushrooms soften.

   Add in this stepOnion 40 gButton or oyster mushrooms 80 g

   medium heat

5. Spoon in the tofu in large pieces, then add the shrimp, coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar. Simmer over medium-low heat for 3 min, keeping it at a gentle bubble so the coconut milk does not split. The shrimp are done when they turn pink.

   Add in this stepExtra-soft tofu (sundubu) or silken tofu 350 gMedium shrimp, peeled, tails on 8Coconut milk 80 mlFish sauce 2 tspPalm sugar (or white sugar) ½ tsp

   medium-low heat

6. Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice and taste: sour, salty, hot and faintly sweet should all be in balance. Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro. The lemongrass and lime leaves are for flavour only, so pick them out as you eat.

   Add in this stepLime juice 1 tbspCilantro (coriander leaves) 5 g