When the weather gets cool, we often look for a warm meal that can be made in one pot. One of our favorite Korean dishes for this is Kimchi Stew, commonly known in English by its Korean name, Kimchi Jjigae.
Kimchi Jjigae is a traditional Korean home-style stew made with kimchi, meat or other ingredients, broth, and seasonings. It is different from a light soup because the flavor is stronger and the ingredients are cooked together until they become rich and savory.
In Korea, kimchi is more than a side dish. It is also used as an ingredient in many cooked dishes. When kimchi becomes more sour and fully fermented, we often use it for cooking. Kimchi that may be too sour to eat as a fresh side dish can become an excellent ingredient for stew.
We especially like to make Kimchi Jjigae with pork and tofu. The pork adds a rich flavor, while tofu gives the stew a soft texture. The kimchi provides most of the character of the dish.
This is one of those Korean dishes that does not need many complicated ingredients. The most important part is using good kimchi and cooking it to the texture we like.
What Is Kimchi Jjigae?
Kimchi Jjigae is a Korean stew made mainly with kimchi. The word jjigae means a Korean-style stew that is usually thicker and more concentrated than a typical soup.
There are many ways to make Kimchi Jjigae in Korea. Some people use pork, while others use beef, tuna, seafood, or simply tofu and vegetables. The broth can also be made in different ways.
Our version is a simple home-style recipe using pork, kimchi, tofu, garlic, Korean red pepper flakes, and broth.
We do not try to make it complicated. We want the kimchi and pork to remain the main flavors.
For readers who are new to Korean food, kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish. Napa cabbage is commonly used, and it is seasoned with ingredients such as Korean red pepper flakes, garlic, and other seasonings before fermentation.
Kimchi can taste very different depending on how long it has fermented. Fresh kimchi is often crisp and has a fresher flavor. Older kimchi becomes softer and more sour. That older kimchi is especially useful for making Kimchi Jjigae.
Why We Use Pork and Kimchi Together
Pork and kimchi are a very familiar combination in Korean cooking.
We usually use a cut of pork that has some fat because it gives the stew a fuller flavor. As the pork cooks with the kimchi, the flavors mix together.
We first stir-fry the pork and kimchi before adding the broth. This small step makes a noticeable difference in the final dish.
We also add a little minced garlic and Korean red pepper flakes during this step. The goal is not to make the stew extremely spicy. Instead, the red pepper flakes add another layer of flavor.
If the kimchi already has plenty of seasoning, we do not need to add many extra seasonings.
Ingredients
For our family-style Kimchi Jjigae, we use:
- 300 g pork
- 700 g kimchi
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes
- 4 cups broth
- 300 g tofu
- About 1/2 cup kimchi juice, if available
- Salt, Korean soup soy sauce, or salted shrimp to adjust the final seasoning
If your kimchi is very strongly seasoned, you may need less additional seasoning at the end.
Preparing the Ingredients
We cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.
The kimchi can be left in larger pieces or cut into smaller pieces, depending on how we plan to eat the stew. We usually keep the pieces large enough to pick up easily with chopsticks.
For the tofu, we cut it into fairly large pieces.
We prefer larger pieces because tofu can break apart while the stew is boiling. Larger pieces are also easier to serve.
If we have kimchi juice left in the kimchi container, we save some of it. About half a cup can be added to the stew.
Kimchi juice adds more of the same flavor already present in the kimchi, so it can make the stew taste more connected.
Step 1: Cook the Pork and Kimchi
We put the pork, kimchi, minced garlic, and Korean red pepper flakes into a pot.
We turn the heat to medium-high.
Then we stir-fry everything until the pork is cooked.
We do not add the broth right away. We first let the pork and kimchi cook together.
As the pork cooks, its juices mix with the kimchi. The garlic and red pepper flakes also begin to blend into the mixture.
This is an important part of our method because we want the pork and kimchi to develop flavor before adding the liquid.
We keep stirring occasionally so the ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Step 2: Add the Broth
When the pork is cooked, we add 4 cups of broth.
Then we turn the heat up to high and bring the stew to a strong boil.
Once it starts boiling, we let it continue cooking.
At this point, the kitchen begins to smell like a typical Korean home meal. The smell of cooked kimchi, pork, and garlic becomes much stronger as the stew simmers.
If we have kimchi juice, we add about 1/2 cup at this stage.
The exact amount can depend on the kimchi. Some kimchi has a lot of liquid, while other kimchi is relatively dry.
Step 3: Decide How Long to Cook the Kimchi
This is where we adjust the recipe to our personal preference.
If we want the kimchi to become very soft, we cook the stew for about 30 minutes.
After about 30 minutes, the kimchi becomes soft and blends into the broth. The flavor also becomes deeper as the ingredients continue to cook together.
However, we do not always want very soft kimchi.
Sometimes we prefer the kimchi to keep a little of its crisp texture. In that case, we cook the stew for about 20 minutes.
There is no single correct cooking time.
We choose the cooking time based on how we want the kimchi to feel when we eat it.
This is one of the nice things about making Kimchi Jjigae at home. We can adjust the texture to suit our family.
Step 4: Add the Tofu
After the kimchi has cooked to the texture we want, we add the tofu.
We place the large pieces of tofu into the stew carefully so they do not break apart.
Then we let the stew boil for a short time so the tofu becomes hot and absorbs some of the broth.
We do not add the tofu at the beginning because we prefer it to keep its shape.
If tofu is boiled for too long, it can become very soft and break apart when we serve it.
Step 5: Adjust the Seasoning
Before serving, we taste the broth.
Kimchi can have very different levels of salt and seasoning, so we do not decide the final seasoning before tasting it.
If the stew needs more saltiness, we can use salt, Korean soup soy sauce, or salted shrimp.
We add only a small amount at a time and taste again.
Korean soup soy sauce is different from regular soy sauce. It is commonly used to season Korean soups and stews without adding too much dark color.
Salted shrimp is another traditional Korean ingredient that can be used to season dishes such as stews and soups.
We do not necessarily use all three. We simply choose what fits the flavor of the kimchi we are using.
How We Serve Kimchi Jjigae
We usually serve Kimchi Jjigae while it is still bubbling hot.
A bowl of steamed rice is a natural match for this stew. The rice helps balance the strong flavor of the kimchi broth.
We also like to place the pot in the center of the table and serve the stew family-style.
When eating, we usually take some pork, kimchi, and tofu together with a little broth.
The combination of soft tofu, tender pork, and cooked kimchi makes each spoonful different from the last.
For a simple Korean meal, we do not need many side dishes when we have a good pot of Kimchi Jjigae and fresh rice.
Choosing the Right Kimchi
The kimchi you use can change the final flavor more than any other ingredient.
For this stew, we often prefer kimchi that has had enough time to ferment and develop a stronger sour flavor.
Very fresh kimchi can also be used, but the result will be different.
Older kimchi works especially well because cooking softens its texture and changes the sharp sour taste into a deeper cooked flavor.
If your kimchi has been sitting in the refrigerator for a while and has become too sour for eating as a fresh side dish, do not throw it away.
We often use that kind of kimchi for cooking.
Kimchi Jjigae is one of the easiest ways for us to turn older kimchi into a completely different meal.
If your kimchi is not fully fermented and lacks sourness, you can add a small splash of vinegar to mimic the deep, aged flavor. On the other hand, if your kimchi is overly sour, adding a pinch of sugar will help balance the acidity and smooth out the sharp taste.
A Simple Korean Home Meal
One reason we make Kimchi Jjigae often is that it fits naturally into everyday home cooking.
We do not need special cooking equipment. A regular heavy pot works well.
We also do not need a long list of ingredients.
The basic process is simple:
- Cook the pork, kimchi, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the broth.
- Boil the stew.
- Cook the kimchi for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add the tofu.
- Adjust the seasoning.
- Serve hot with rice.
The cooking time can be adjusted depending on the texture we want.
For us, this flexibility is part of what makes Korean home cooking enjoyable. We do not always cook exactly the same way every time. We look at the ingredients we have and adjust the recipe as we cook.
Our Experience Making Kimchi Jjigae
We have made Kimchi Jjigae many times, and the result is never exactly the same.
The age of the kimchi changes the flavor. The type of pork changes the richness. The amount of kimchi juice can change the saltiness and sourness.
Even the cooking time matters.
Sometimes we want very soft kimchi and let the stew cook for around 30 minutes. Other times, we stop closer to 20 minutes because we want the kimchi to keep more of its texture.
We have learned that there is no need to make this dish complicated.
Good kimchi, pork, tofu, and a simple broth are enough to make a satisfying Korean home meal.
The most important thing is to taste the stew as it cooks and make small adjustments instead of adding a lot of seasoning at once.
Final Thoughts
Kimchi Jjigae is a good example of simple Korean home cooking.
It uses familiar ingredients, but the cooking process brings them together into a completely different dish. Kimchi becomes the heart of the stew, while pork adds richness and tofu adds a soft texture.
For our version, we first cook the pork and kimchi together, then add broth and boil everything until the kimchi reaches the texture we like. Finally, we add large pieces of tofu and adjust the seasoning.
If we want very soft kimchi, we cook it for about 30 minutes. If we prefer a little more texture, about 20 minutes is enough for us.
We usually eat it hot with steamed rice.
This is not a complicated restaurant-style recipe. It is the kind of food we make at home when we want something warm, familiar, and full of the flavor we know from Korean cooking.