Korean Kimchi Jigeh Stew Recipes

KIMCHI STEW (KIMCHI-JJIGAE)

Steps:

• Put the anchovies, daikon, green onion roots, and dried kelp in a sauce pan. Add the water and boil for 20 minutes over medium high heat. Lower the heat to low for another 5 minutes. Strain.
• Place the kimchi and kimchi brine in a shallow pot. Add pork and onion. Slice 2 green onions diagonally and add them to the pot.
• Add salt, sugar, hot pepper flakes, and hot pepper paste. Drizzle sesame oil over top and add the anchovy stock
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium high heat.
• Open and mix in the seasonings with a spoon. Lay the tofu over top. Cover and cook another 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat.
• Chop 1 green onion and put it on the top of the stew. Remove from the heat and serve right away with rice.

KIMCHI JJIGAE (KIMCHI STEW)

Steps:

• Cut the kimchi into bite size pieces.
• Cut the meat into bite sizes. Slice the tofu (about 1/2-inch thick), and roughly chop the scallions.
• Heat a small to medium pot with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the kimchi, pork, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook over medium high heat until the kimchi is softened and the pork cooks through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the kimchi juice and about 2 to 2.5 cups of water (or broth). Bring it to a boil, and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to medium, and boil, covered, for about 15 minutes. You can add more water if necessary.
• Drop the tofu and scallions in. Salt (or soup or regular soy sauce) and pepper to taste. (Salt is usually not necessary, unless kimchi was lightly seasoned or kimchi juice is not available.) Boil until the tofu is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve while bubbling over from the heat.

TRADITIONAL KIMCHI (NAPA CABBAGE KIMCHI)

Steps:

• Cut the thick white part of the cabbage lengthwise in half. Then, slowly pull apart by hand to separate into two pieces. Do the same for each half to make quarters. Running the knife through all the way would unnecessarily cut off the cabbage leaves.
• In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 cup of salt in 5 cups of water. Thoroughly bathe each cabbage quarter in the salt water one at a time, shake off excess water back into the bowl, and then transfer to another bowl.
• Using the other half cup of salt and starting from the outermost leaf, generously sprinkle salt over the thick white part of each leaf (similar to salting a piece of meat). Try to salt all the cabbage quarters with 1/2 cup salt, but you can use a little more if needed. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage quarters. Pour the remaining salt water from the first bowl over the cabbage. Set aside for about 6 - 8 hours, rotating the bottom ones to the top every 2 - 3 hours.
• The cabbages should be ready to be washed when the white parts of the leaves are easily bendable. Rinse thoroughly 3 times, especially between the white parts. Drain well, cut side down.
• Meanwhile, make the optional dashima broth by boiling a small piece (2 to 3 inch square) in 1.5 cup of water for 5 minutes, and cool. Mix the rice powder with 1/2 cup water (or optional dashima broth) and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a thin paste, and cool.
• Prepare the garlic, ginger and saeujeot. Combine all the seasoning ingredients, including the rice paste and about 1/2 cup water (or the optional dashima broth), and mix well. Set aside until the red pepper flakes to dissolve slightly and become pasty.
• Cut the radish and optional pear into matchsticks (use a mandoline if desired), transferring to a large bowl. Cut the scallions diagonally into about 1-inch long pieces. Add the prepared seasoning mix to the radish, and mix well by hand. Throw in the scallions, and mix everything lightly. Taste a little bit. It should be a little too salty to eat as is. You can add salt, more salted shrimp or fish sauce, as needed. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld nicely.
• Cut off the tough stem part from each cabbage quarter, leaving enough to hold the leaves together. Place one cabbage quarter in the bowl with the radish mix. Spread the radish mix over each leaf, one to two tablespoons for large leaves. (Eyeball the stuffing into 4 parts and use one part for each cabbage quarter.)
• Fold the leaf part of the cabbage over toward the stem and nicely wrap it with the outermost leaf. Place it, cut side up, in a jar or airtight container. Repeat with the remaining cabbages. If you have lose large leaves, you can use them to cover the top of the kimchi (see note 1). Once all the cabbages are in the jar or airtight container, press down hard to remove air pockets. Rinse the bowl that contained the radish mix with 1/2 cup of water (or any remaining optional dashima broth) and pour into the kimchi container. Close the lid.
• Leave it out at room temperature for a full day or two, depending on the weather and how fast you want your kimchi to ripen. A half day is recommended during hot summer days. Then, store in the fridge. (See note 2.)

THE CLASSIC, KIMCHI JJIGAE

Steps:

• Marinate the pork belly with the rice wine and the ground black pepper for about 15 mins.
• Cook the Kimchi in a skillet until soft. (You could do this in the pot where you will make this jjigae. Do this only if the pot is big enough to manoeuvre around.)
• Put the marinated meat into the bottom of the pot. Add all the other ingredients (kimchi, onion, mushrooms, tofu, water and the base sauce) except for green onion into the pot.
• Boil the pot on medium high heat initially then reduce the heat to medium once it starts boiling. Cook further until the meat is cooked. (It takes 10 to 15 mins from the beginning of step 4.) Make sure the sauce is well blended into the rest of the ingredients. (This can be done by gently mixing the sauce around the soup with a small teaspoon and splashing the soup over other ingredients every now then). When the meat is cooked, add the green onion and turn the heat off.
• Serve with rice (and other side dishes).

UMMA'S KIMCHI JIGEH

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir until garlic is soft, about 1 minute. Add pork; season with black pepper and salt. Stir-fry until pork is crisp and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add kimchi and onion; stir-fry until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Add kochu jang and dashida to the vegetables in the saucepan. Pour in enough water to cover all ingredients and bring to a boil. Add green pepper and 1/4 cup reserved kimchi juice. Cover pot, educe heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add tofu and simmer 10 minutes more. Add scallions and stir to combine.

KOREAN KIMCHI JIGEH STEW

Steps:

• In a large pot, stir together the water, kim chee, reserved kim chee brine, Spam, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Simmer, for 20 minutes or until the kim chee cabbage is translucent and soft.