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Kimchi JjiGae (Kimchi Stew)

Kimchi Jjigae 김치 찌개 {Korean Kimchi Stew}
Course Soup, stew
Cuisine Korean
Keyword soup, stew, asian food
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Author Sandra | Sandra's Easy Cooking

Ingredients

  • ½   Lb. Pork Belly (READ the notes) Or 1 cup smoked Bacon
  • 1/2 Tbsp. Garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 Onion chopped
  • 2 Cups Fermented Kimchi chopped
  • 1 Cup Stock/chicken beef etc.
  • 1 Cup Kimchi juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon Red Hot Pepper Paste gochujang or to your taste
  • ½ teaspoon Hot Pepper Powder gochugaru
  • 2 Green Onions + green part for garnish
  • ½ Pack Tofu cubed (soft or firm)
  • Salt to taste and sugar to balance the spiciness of the stew

Instructions

  1. Cut the pork belly into bite size or 1-inch size. Discard the skin if any. You can use smoked bacon instead.
  2. Preheat deeper saute-pan/pot on medium high and drop the bacon in. After a few minutes, drop in garlic and onion. Stir and let it cook for a few minutes.
  3. Chop fermented cabbage (kimchi) into bite-size pieces, and drop in the saute pan. Stir fry it for 2 minutes on medium high.
  4. Pour in fermented cabbage (kimchi) juice, chicken stock, and water, then stir.
  5. Add red hot pepper paste, red hot pepper powder; Stir again and cook on medium-high temperature for 10 minutes/ After 10 minutes check if you need to add more liquid. Cover, and let it boil/cook for 5 more minutes.
  6. Add in the stew green onions, and cubed tofu -firm or soft.
  7. Garnish the stew with more chopped scallions, and chilies if you wish.
  8. Serve it hot and with rice and other banchan {side dishes}

Recipe Notes

I am sure some of you don't eat pork. You can use instead: chicken, beef(ground also good), tuna or keep it meatless and use mushrooms as a sub. Most authentic recipe I would say uses pork belly, but you are more than welcome to use whatever is your personal preference. I like adding the pork, and smoked sausages or smoked bacon. It adds so much more flavor. If you are using anything other then bacon/pork belly, know that the cooking time will increase. Mushrooms are so healthy if you have any add them to this stew. As for Tofu, you can use soft or firm, it's up to your likes, you will not go wrong either way, but it is optional. Also, you can add gochujang (hot pepper paste) and/or gochugaru (hot pepper powder/flakes) half the measurement that I added in the recipe if you cannot handle or tolerate spicy food. OR simply add a little bit at the time until you reach what you like.