How to Make Korean Kimchi Jjigae

Kimchi is a food staple in Korea, served at almost every meal. Kimchi jjigae, is made of a spicy mixture of kimchi with a mixture of vegetables and seasonings. Kimchi recipes are so individualized that they are often handed down from generation to generation. Kimchi jjigae is also a healthy dish, full of vitamins and antioxidants.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1/3 pound or more of boneless pork, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic (or more, if desired)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp. ginger, chopped
• 1 cup kimchi (pickled cabbage)
• 2 cups water
• 1 package silken tofu (either firm or silken, depending on taste)
• Hot sauce to taste
• Approximately 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• Approximately 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• Salt

1. Saute the pork, cooking completely through, in a small saucepan.

2. Add the garlic, onion and ginger and sauté until the onions are transparent, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the kimchi, undrained, and stir just until it's hot. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil.

4. Cut the tofu into small cubes while the kimchi mixture is boiling, and add it to the mixture.

5. Taste the kimchi jjigae and add hot sauce to taste. It will already be hot, so be careful.

6. Add vinegar if the kimchi jjigae needs a little more tang.

7. Add soy sauce and salt to taste.

8. Serve the kimchi jjigae over rice.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are vegetarian, simply leave out the pork, the kimchi jjigae will still be delicious. If you want, you can add more vegetables to take its place. Almost any vegetable will do.