Kimchi Jjigae; quick & tasty Korean Kimchi stew
Kimchi Jjigae is a traditional Korean kimchi stew. It's rich, warming and has a wonderful complexity and depth of flavour making it the ultimate, comforting supper. Serve atop a bed of plump, fluffy white rice.
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
180g unsmoked streaky bacon (we like field & flower)
1 1/2 TBS rice vinegar
1 tsp rice malt syrup (or sweetener of your choice; coconut sugar or raw cane sugar will work just as well)
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 C Kimchi (finely diced) - Where To Buy
1 tsp peanut oil
1 leek (finely sliced)
100g mushrooms (stems removed & thinly sliced)
300g firm tofu (cubed) - we like The Tofoo Co
2 C water
SPICE PASTE
1 tsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru), regular chilli flakes will suffice but beware you will only need a pinch for a similar level of heat!
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp Korean chili paste (gochujang) – available from Asian groceries and larger supermarkets and online retailers
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 tsp sesame oil
METHOD
Slice the streaky bacon into 1cm pieces.
Create a marinade for the meat by whisking together the rice vinegar, rice malt syrup and pepper in small bowl until well combined. Pour over the bacon, give it a good stir, and set aside for about 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a sauce pan. Add the bacon and cook for a 2-3 minutes before adding the leeks and diced kimchi. Cook for a further 2 minutes until the leeks are just starting to soften.
To a small bowl, add the soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, garlic, and sesame oil. Whisk thoroughly until well combined into a paste.
Add the paste to the pot together with the tofu and mushrooms. Pour over the water.
Bring the pot to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Make sure all the ingredients are well mixed by gently stirring the pot a few times throughout the cooking period.
Serve with rice or vermicelli noodles
Optional toppings: extra kimchi! Chilli oil, diced coriander and spring onion
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