Serves 6
40 min
Kimchi Jjigae
Recipe GLPRc9195e42f4fc28
A warming Korean spiced stew built on umami-rich fermented kimchi, tender pork belly, and silky tofu. The broth develops depth from the kimchi brine and gochugaru, with a careful balance of heat and subtle sweetness. This rustic one-pot meal delivers bold, complex flavors in every spoonful.
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Ingredients
400 g mature kimchi, drained
1 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ small brown onion, small, finely sliced
200 g pork belly, finely sliced
1½ tsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
1 tsp caster sugar
150 g firm tofu, drained
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Directions
Strain the kimchi through a fine sieve set over a bowl or measuring jug, pressing gently to extract the brine. You should collect approximately 100ml of brine; if you have less, add additional brine from the kimchi jar until you reach this amount. Set the drained kimchi and reserved brine aside.
Place a large saucepan over high heat and add the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the drained kimchi, sliced brown onion, and pork belly. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until the pork is lightly browned and the aromatics are softened.
Sprinkle the gochugaru and caster sugar over the mixture and stir well to combine. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, allowing the spices to bloom and release their flavor.
Pour in 800ml of water and the reserved 100ml of kimchi brine. Stir to combine, then raise the heat to bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat slightly but maintain a vigorous simmer. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, allowing the broth to develop flavor and the pork to become tender.
While the stew simmers, cut the drained tofu into 5cm squares approximately 1cm thick. After 15 minutes of simmering, carefully arrange the tofu pieces over the surface of the stew.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the tofu is heated through. Remove from heat, scatter the chopped spring onions over the top, and serve immediately in bowls with the broth.
