Have some previous kimchi within the fridge? Make this kimchi jjigae! It’s scrumptious with fatty pork. Such a consolation meals!
When kimchi will get previous, it turns into a wonderful ingredient for numerous different dishes! The commonest dish made with aged kimchi is kimchi jjigae (김치찌개). It’s a go-to stew in Korean properties and my absolute favourite!
Rising up in Korea, we had numerous meals simply with kimchi jjigae and a bowl of rice. I don’t bear in mind ever getting uninterested in it! Whether or not you make it to make use of up previous kimchi, or to fulfill a craving, this small pot of consolation meals is all you want for a satisfying meal.
The kimchi
When cooking with kimchi, it’s best to at all times use totally fermented, bitter kimchi. The older the higher! For those who can’t wait to your kimchi to show bitter, add slightly little bit of vinegar to the kimchi earlier than utilizing it. It’s not going to be nearly as good as bitter kimchi, but it surely’ll assist slightly.
Additionally, Your Korean market could carry commercially packaged kimchi known as mukeunji (묵은지), that means previous kimchi.
If the kimchi is overly bitter to your style, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to the stew to steadiness out the bitter style.
The Meat for kimchi stew
Whereas there are lots of variations, fatty pork is most favored for kimchi jjigae in Korea. As I at all times say, kimchi and fatty pork is a match made in heaven. Not surprisingly, pork ribs are frequent and scrumptious in kimchi stew. Pre-boil the ribs till pretty tender, 20 to half-hour, after which cook dinner with kimchi. For those who don’t like pork, use beef or canned tuna as an alternative. This recipe additionally consists of the canned tuna model.
Rising up, we additionally loved kimchi jjigae that’s merely made with anchovy broth with none meat. It provides a pleasant, clear style to the stew.

Suggestions for making good kimchi jjigae
1. Use previous, bitter kimchi.
2. Cook dinner the kimchi and pork collectively earlier than including the liquid. This step develops additional taste.
3. Use the water used to rinse rice (ssalddeumul, 쌀뜨물) because the stew base. It’s generally used for Korean stews. Use the water from the second or third spherical of rinsing. The rice water thickens the broth barely and enhances the flavour.
4. Anchovy broth, rooster broth, milky bone broth or vegetable broth may also be nice as a soup base.
5. Use the juice from the kimchi if obtainable. It should add a number of taste to the broth.
If you wish to strive making kimchi at residence, it’s not that tough to make. Listed below are my easy-to-follow recipes: pogi kimchi, mak kimchi, and vegan kimchi.
Extra recipes with previous kimchi
Watch tips on how to make it

Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
Directions
- Minimize the kimchi into chunk dimension items.
- Minimize the meat into chunk sizes. Slice the tofu (about 1/2-inch thick), and roughly chop the scallions.
- Warmth a small to medium pot with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the kimchi, pork, purple pepper flakes and garlic and cook dinner over medium excessive warmth till the kimchi is softened and the pork cooks by means of, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the kimchi juice and about 2 to 2.5 cups of water (or broth). Carry it to a boil, and proceed cooking for five minutes. Then, cut back the warmth to medium, and boil, coated, for about quarter-hour. You may add extra water if vital.
- Drop the tofu and scallions in. Salt (or soup or common soy sauce) and pepper to style. (Salt is normally not vital, until kimchi was flippantly seasoned or kimchi juice shouldn’t be obtainable.) Boil till the tofu is cooked by means of, about 5 minutes. Serve whereas effervescent over from the warmth.
Tuna kimchi jjigae
- To make kimchi jjigae with no meat, comply with the identical steps leaving out the pork. Add one can of tuna (chamchi) with oil when including the kimchi juice and water and boil for 10 – quarter-hour. (You may add onion slices at this level if desired.) Comply with the remainder of the recipe above. (Recent or canned salmon works effectively too in kimchi jjigae.)
Notes
- Use previous, bitter kimchi.
- Cook dinner the kimchi and pork collectively earlier than including the liquid. This step develops additional taste.
- Use the water used to rinse rice (ssalddeumul, 쌀뜨물) because the stew base. It is generally used for Korean stews. Use the water from the second or third spherical of rinsing. The rice water thickens the broth barely and enhances the flavour.
- Anchovy broth, rooster broth, milky bone broth or vegetable broth may also be nice as a soup base.
- Use the juice from the kimchi if obtainable. It should add a number of taste to the broth.