Korean Home Cooking

Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)

Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min · Serves 4 ·

Kimchi jjigae bubbling in a black earthenware pot, topped with sliced tofu, pork, and green onion
Photo: Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, KOGL Type 1, via Wikimedia Commons

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

  1. 1Heat sesame oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the pork belly and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
  2. 2Add the kimchi and stir-fry together with the pork for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
  3. 3Stir in gochugaru, gochujang, and garlic. Cook for another minute.
  4. 4Pour in the water or broth and the kimchi juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. 5Add the onion and tofu. Simmer for another 5 minutes until everything is heated through.
  6. 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.

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