Kimchi Jjigae – spicy and warming kimchi stew

Kimchi jjigae is a staple recipe in Korean cuisine - warming and spicy, it's a perfect comfort food for winter evenings. In this stew, the flavor of kimchi is softer and milder. If you like more intensity, use our Aged Kimchi. Meat, tofu and other vegetables are optional - so it's up to your imagination.

Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 700ml rice water 
• 400 g kimchi in its own juice, preferably several weeks old ( Doctor Kimchi - Weekend Kimchi ) 
• 1 kimchi shot ( Doctor Kimchi Shot ) 
• 100g tofu 
• 100 g smoked tofu 
• 200g beef 
• 1 onion 
• 1 clove of garlic 
• 1 spring onion 
• 1 tbsp gochujang chili paste 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp sesame oil 
• 2 tsp sugar 
• 1-2 bouillon cubes 
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes (gochugaru if possible), omit for a milder version or replace with a little paprika powder 
• vegetable oil 

Preparation: 

• Boil the rice and put 700ml rice water aside. 
• Halve the onion and chop finely. Chop garlic finely. Cut smoked tofu into small bite-sized cubes. Halve the tofu and cut into 1/2 - 1 cm thick slices. Cut the spring onion into fine rings. 
• Heat a good splash of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add beef, smoked tofu and onion and fry for a few minutes. Add the kimchi , the kimchi shot and garlic and sauté briefly. Pour in the rice water . 
• Add mushrooms, gochujang chili paste, gochugaru chili flakes, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. If the stew has too little liquid, top it up with a little more water if necessary. Now let everything simmer at a low temperature with the lid closed for about 15-20 minutes . 
• Place the tofu on the stew, add some of the stew broth and simmer for another 5 minutes. 
• Serve the kimchi stew sprinkled with spring onions. We like to serve it with rice. 

Recipe adapted from Cheap and Cheerful cooking