I don’t remember ever liking this dish as a kid. Perhaps it was my aversion to egg yolks at the time. And restaurant versions never appealed to me. It was always given as “service” (free) and always lacked flavor. But my mom made it for us during a recent visit and it was not the “yucky yolky” dish I remembered. I slid a small spoonful of the light custard on my plate and before I knew it, I pretty much ate half of the bowl.
I love the simplicity of this recipe. The tofu gives it a meaty texture and the salted shrimp is enough to season the dish without overwhelming it. Best of all, my picky little toddler LOVES it.
Watch me make this dish in my debut video! Enjoy!
Gaeran Jjim (Korean-style steamed egg casserole)
Serves 3 OR 1 very hungry toddler and adult
2-3 eggs, beaten
1/8 cup water
7 oz. tofu (or half a block of the typical store-bought tofu), mashed
1 tablespoon saewoo jjut or salted shrimp, chopped (you can substitute about 1 teaspoon of salt if you don’t have the salted shrimp)
2 stalks green onions, sliced thinly
A pinch of black pepper
1 – Beat eggs and water together in a small heat-proof bowl. Add tofu by squeezing and mashing it through your fingers.
2 – Add the salted shrimp, green onions, and black pepper. Mix.
3 – Fill a large pot with about 1-inch of water. The covered pot should be large enough to hold the small bowl. I used my cast iron Dutch oven and while you can rest the bowl on the bottom of the pot, I placed the bowl on a steamer basket.
4 – Cover pot and bring the water to a boil and lower heat to medium and cook for about 20 minutes.
5 – Serve hot and enjoy!
