Kimchi Jjigae

Name: Kimchi Jjigae
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Korean
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

Recipe GLPRc9195e42f4fc28

Korean

Main Course

40 min

158 cal

Servings: 6

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

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.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff3.75

Kimchi jjigae works as a weeknight stew, but gochugaru forces a deliberate stop at an Asian market—neither Harris Teeter nor Food Lion carries it regularly, and ALDI's selection is spotty. The pork belly and good kimchi together run $12–15 for six servings, reasonable for a braise, though the stated 40 minutes ignores simmering time; expect closer to an hour start-to-table. Tofu and spring onion are easy finds at any Charlotte chain, and the dish reheats beautifully. It's forgiving and feeds a family without fuss, but budget the extra trip for gochugaru and plan for a longer evening than the recipe claims.