Kimchi Stew (Kimchi Jigae)

During my student days, I used to have kimchi soup and rice for lunch at the food court. And I really wanted to know how to cook it. I then asked one of my korean uni mates whether he could teach me how to cook kimchi soup. And his reply was ‘kimchi + water’. Errr….

This kimchi soup was cooked using leftovers. I had limited ingredients so I thought I will write up a cheat list to kimchi soup.

This time around, I only had leftovers from the bibimbap dinner party and haven’t cooked kimchi soup for ages. Unfortuantely, I did not have any onions or tofu so I just used whatever I had from the pantry.

I like adding rice water (water used to rinse uncooked rice). I take it from my 2nd round rinse. It gives a richer flavour.

• Stock: Pork bone stock, Rice water
• Aromatics: Garlic, Leeks, Spring onions
• Kimchi: water kimchi, napa cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi juice
• Flavouring: fish sauce, gochujang, gochugaru (korean chilli powder)

And piglet liked it! At one point I saw some apples from the water kimchi going into the soup and was hoping piglet will be fine with it..

My kimchi stew formula:

Stock + Kimchi + Aromatic Vege + Tofu + Flavouring

I usually just put everything together and boil then simmer it for about half an hour unless it is a bone stock. Bone stock might require several hours of simmering depending on your preference.

Plain stock/ broth (Optional: add in rice water)

• Vegetarian stock: kelp/ kombu powder
• Pork bone stock: pork bone/ pork belly + water
• Anchovies stock: anchovies + water
• Fish stock: canned tuna/ canned mackeral + water
• Beef stock: beef slices/ beef bone + water
• Chicken stock: chicken bones/ chicken slices + water

Aromatics

• Onion
• Spring onion
• Garlic
• Leeks

Kimchi

Napa cabbage kimchi

And also add in kimchi juice. Kimchi juice is the liquid from fermented kimchi. Even non spicy water kimchi contributes its tangy sourness.

Flavouring

• Not salty enough? Add some salt/ fish sauce/ soy sauce
• Not spicy enough? Add gochugaru (korean chilli pepper powder) or gochujang
• Not strong enough? Add fish sauce/ soy sauce
• Not fragrant enough? Add some sesame oil/ fish sauce
• Not sour enough? Add more kimchi juice or kimchi