Kimchi Jigae

Leftover kimchi? Miso paste? Several simple ingredients combined make a traditional spicy Korean staple: Kimchi Jigae.

My edited version was vegetarian, (omitting pork) since traditionally you would need some fat or stock for flavor.  Using Kaiseki miso gives the dish a deep flavor which pork accentuates, but is not required.


Kimchi Jjigae ~ 김치찌개 (for 2) 

1/3 lbs pork belly sliced very thin (omit if vegetarian)
1/2 small onion sliced
1 Cup loosely packed kimchi with juice
2 cloves of garlic minced finely
2 Cups hot water (Ideally just boiled out of a kettle (electric or traditional) 
1 Tbs cooking wine to taste (mirin or shaoxing)
2 Tablespoons of red (kaiseki) miso or dengjang
6 oz silken tofu sliced into cubes
2 green onions thinly sliced for decoration

Optional, to taste:

Soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
Gochugaru (Korean dried chili flakes)

Saute in a small pot the pork belly, onion and garlic, rendering some fat from the pork on medium heat until the garlic and onion take on some color. [Alternatively saute the onion and garlic in a bit of butter if omitting pork.]  Then add the kimchi with juice, tofu, and cooking wine. Bring the mixture to a simmer (don't overboil).  In a separate bowl combine the hot water and miso, whisking together to combine.  Add the miso liquid to the simmering pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and taste for spiciness. Add as much gochugaru to taste as you like.  I prefer not to overcook the meat and kimchi, to still have some texture in the kimchi. If you like your kimchi soft, add another 10-15 minutes to the cooking time in the end.  To serve: ladle into individual bowls and sprinkle the green onion.