What you need in Germany
Kimchi, onion, pork, or canned tuna are easy enough to find in Germany. Rice water is ideal, but plain water also works. Tofu is optional and I usually add it near the end.
Kimchi Jjigae Recipe – Korean Kimchi Stew with Pork or Tuna (김치찌개)
Category: Korean Home Cooking🕒 55 mins🍽️ 3 servings
Korean stew
Kimchi Jjigae the way I cook it at home
Kimchi Jjigae is one of those warm, honest stews I want to keep in my family recipe archive. It tastes best with slightly sour kimchi and a little time for the broth to become deeper.
My notes for this recipe
Kimchi Jjigae is a simple Korean kimchi stew that tastes best with well-fermented kimchi. This recipe includes two easy versions: a hearty pork kimchi stew and a quick tuna kimchi stew. The base is Jongga pogi kimchi, onion, a little sugar, and rice water or water. It is warm, simple, and perfect with steamed rice.
Quick tips
- Slightly sour kimchi works better for stew than very fresh kimchi.
- Briefly stir-fry the onion, pork or tuna, and kimchi before adding water.
- If you use tofu, add it near the end so it keeps its shape.
How I cook it
- 3:00
Slice the onion. Depending on its size, use half an onion to one whole onion.
- 5:00
For the pork version, add a little neutral oil to a pot. Briefly sauté the onion, then cut 200–300 g pork into bite-sized pieces and brown it together with the onion. If using pork belly, you can also sear it in one piece first and slice it afterward.
- 2:00
Add 500 g Jongga Pogi Kimchi and briefly mix it with the onion and pork. Do not fry it for too long; it should just combine well.
Add about 10 g sugar, roughly one Korean spoonful. Stir briefly.
- 1:00
Pour in 800 ml water or, if you have it, rice water. Rice water gives the stew a slightly rounder flavor.
- 15:00
Boil the stew over high heat for about 15 minutes.
- 30:00
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for another 30 minutes, until the flavor becomes deep and well-rounded.
- 2:00
Serve hot with rice. If you use much more than 300 g pork, the dish becomes more like Kimchi Jjim, a braised kimchi dish, rather than a classic stew.
Small notes
1. Slice the onion. Depending on the size, use half an onion to one whole onion.
2. For the pork version, add a little neutral oil to a pot. Briefly sauté the onion, then cut 200–300 g pork into bite-sized pieces and brown it together with the onion. If using pork belly, you can also sear it in one piece first and slice it afterward.
3. Add 500 g Jongga Pogi Kimchi and briefly mix it with the pork and onion. Do not fry it for too long; it should just combine well.
4. Add about 10 g sugar and stir briefly. This is roughly one Korean spoonful.
5. Pour in 800 ml water or rice water. Rice water works especially well because it gives the stew a rounder flavor.
6. Boil over high heat for about 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for another 30 minutes.
7. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Tuna version: For the tuna version, use the oil from one can of tuna to sauté the onion. Then add the kimchi and the canned tuna. The rest of the recipe stays the same.
Optional: Tofu is not part of my basic recipe, but it works well as an addition. If you want to add tofu, add it near the end so it does not fall apart.
Note: If you use much more than 300 g pork, the dish becomes more like Kimchi Jjim, a braised kimchi dish, and less like a classic Kimchi Jjigae stew.
Ingredients you can open and learn about
Small questions that often come up
What kind of kimchi is best for Kimchi Jjigae?
Slightly aged, sour kimchi works best. Fresh kimchi tastes milder and often needs a little more seasoning.
Can I make Kimchi Jjigae vegetarian?
Yes. Leave out pork or tuna and use mushrooms, optional tofu, and vegetable or dashima broth.