Kimchi Jjigae
Kimchi jjigae is the stew Koreans reach for when the kimchi in the fridge has grown too sour to eat raw — and that is exactly the point. Over-ripe, deeply fermented kimchi is the soul of the dish: simmered with fatty pork, gochujang and gochugaru, it becomes a bubbling, brick-red stew that is fiery, tangy and deeply comforting, the very definition of everyday Korean home cooking. Everything hinges on the kimchi. Fresh kimchi stays crunchy and one-note; well-aged, sour kimchi melts into the broth and gives it that unmistakable funky depth. Frying the kimchi and chilli paste in the pork fat before adding liquid builds the base, and a long, steady simmer turns sharp ingredients into a mellow, savoury whole. Serve it fiercely hot with plain rice to soak up the broth.
Sour kimchi is key
Over-ripe kimchi melts into deep flavour
Pork-belly richness
The fat carries the chilli and depth
Bubbling stew
Fiery, tangy and comforting
Rice essential
Plain rice soaks up the broth
Ingredients 4 servings
- 250 g pork belly, cut into bite-size pieces
- 300 g well-fermented (sour) kimchi, cut into bite-size pieces, plus 4 tbsp of its juice
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
- 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes), to taste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 700 ml anchovy or dashi stock (or water)
- 300 g medium-firm tofu, cut into 2 cm slices
- 0.5 onion, sliced
- 1 green chilli, sliced (optional)
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 1 tsp soy sauce, to taste
How to make it
- 1FRY THE PORK: heat the sesame oil in a pot over medium-high heat and cook the pork belly 5-6 minutes until it renders its fat and the edges brown; add the minced garlic and stir 1 minute until fragrant.
- 2BLOOM THE CHILLI: push the pork to one side, add the gochujang and gochugaru to the fat, and stir 1 minute so the paste sizzles and its colour deepens — frying the chilli in the pork fat is what gives the stew its rich red depth.
- 3ADD THE KIMCHI: add the chopped kimchi and its juice and stir-fry 3-4 minutes until it softens and turns glossy; ripe, sour kimchi is essential here — fresh kimchi will not give the deep tang.
- 4SIMMER: pour in the stock and sugar, bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer for 15-20 minutes so the kimchi mellows and the broth turns deep red and savoury.
- 5ADD TOFU AND VEG: slide in the tofu slices, the sliced onion and green chilli, and simmer gently 5-7 minutes until the tofu is heated through and the onion is soft — do not stir hard, so the tofu stays whole.
- 6SEASON: taste and balance with a splash of soy sauce or more gochugaru; kimchi varies in salt and sourness, so adjust at the end.
- 7FINISH: scatter the sliced spring onions and serve bubbling hot, straight from the pot, with a bowl of steamed rice.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
