Kimchi jjigae

Kimchi jjigae (Korean Bapsang)

When kimchi gets old, it becomes an excellent ingredient for various other dishes! The most common dish made with aged kimchi is kimchi jjigae. It’s a go-to stew in Korean homes. Growing up in Korea, we had a lot of meals just with kimchi jjigae and a bowl of rice. I don’t remember ever getting tired of it. 

There are many ways to make it. The popular version, which is also my favorite, is made with fatty pork. Kimchi and fatty pork is a match made in heaven. To add extra flavor, cook the kimchi and pork together before adding the liquid. If you’d like, use beef or canned tuna instead. It’s also good simply made in anchovy broth, without any meat, for a cleaner taste. 

Use the juice from the kimchi if available because it will add lots of flavor to the broth. Whether you make it to use up old kimchi or to satisfy a craving, this small pot of comfort food is all you need for a satisfying meal. 

Ingredients:
● 2 cups bite-size kimchi (fully fermented) 

● 120 grams fresh pork belly (or other pork meat with some fat)

● 2 to 3 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) 

● 1 teaspoon minced garlic

● 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

● 1/2 cup juice from kimchi (if available)

● 2 cups of water (1/2 cup more if not using kimchi juice)

● 200 grams tofu 

● 2 scallions

● Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the meat and kimchi into bite-size pieces. Slice the tofu (about 1.5-centimeters thick), and roughly chop the scallions. 

In a pot, cook the kimchi and pork with the chili pepper flakes, garlic and ginger over medium high heat until the kimchi is softened and the pork cooks through, about 10 minutes. Add the kimchi juice and water. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for about 20 minutes. Add more water if necessary. 

Add the tofu and scallions. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Salt is usually not necessary, unless kimchi was lightly seasoned and/or kimchi juice is not available.) Continue to boil until the tofu is cooked through. Should be about 5 minutes. Serve while bubbling over from the heat.

By Ro Hyo-sun