← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 500 g well-fermented (sour) kimchi, cut into bite-size pieces
• 120 ml kimchi juice from the jar
• 250 g Pork belly, thinly sliced
• ½ Onion, sliced (optional)
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes), adjust to taste
• 1 tbsp Gochujang
• 1 tsp Sugar, only if your kimchi is very sour (optional)
• 750 ml water or anchovy stock
• 300 g medium or soft tofu, sliced 1 cm thick
• 2 Spring onion, sliced
• 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
• Salt

Method

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and fry the pork belly for 3–4 min, until it starts to brown and release its fat.
2. Add the kimchi, onion, garlic and gochugaru and stir-fry for 5 min, until the kimchi softens and smells toasty.
3. Pour in the water, kimchi juice and gochujang and stir until dissolved. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 min, until the kimchi is tender and the broth has turned rich and red.
4. Lay the tofu on top, spooning broth over it, and simmer for another 5 min.
5. Taste and add salt or a pinch of sugar if needed. Scatter with spring onion, drizzle with sesame oil and serve bubbling hot with rice.

Tips

• The older and sourer the kimchi, the better the stew. Fresh kimchi tastes flat here; add a splash of rice vinegar if that is all you have.
• Many kimchis contain fish sauce or salted shrimp, so check the label for allergies.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang Maangchi My Korean Kitchen