Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min · Serves 4 ·
If there's one dish that says "home" to most Koreans, it's kimchi jjigae — the dish you make when the kimchi in your fridge has fermented a little too long for eating straight. This version keeps things simple: pork belly for richness, tofu for a soft contrast, and well-fermented kimchi doing most of the flavor work.
Recipe
Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min · Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups well-fermented kimchi, roughly chopped (plus 2 tbsp of its juice)
- 200g (7 oz) pork belly, sliced thin
- 1/2 block (200g) firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 1 tsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups water or anchovy broth
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- 1Heat sesame oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the pork belly and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
- 2Add the kimchi and stir-fry together with the pork for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
- 3Stir in gochugaru, gochujang, and garlic. Cook for another minute.
- 4Pour in the water or broth and the kimchi juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- 5Add the onion and tofu. Simmer for another 5 minutes until everything is heated through.
- 6Add the green onions, simmer for 1 more minute, then serve hot straight from the pot with a bowl of steamed rice.
The success of this stew depends almost entirely on using kimchi that's had time to ferment and turn properly sour — fresh, mild kimchi will give you a flatter-tasting stew. Kimchi jjigae keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days, and in fact tends to taste even better the next day once the flavors have settled.