Budae jjiage, also known as Korean Army Stew, is a hearty kimchi stew that is perfect to indulge on a chilly day. Spicy, comforting and most importantly delicious, this popular Korean dish is a favourite among locals and travellers alike. Traditionally, budae jjigae includes pork and processed meats (i.e Spam which is canned cooked ham) but the beauty of this one-pot meal is that you can get creative with the ingredients! So with a little tweaking and swapping around, this simple halal budae jjigae recipe is one that you can easily make at home and indulge in while you catch up on the latest K-drama ?
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 cups ground beef or chicken
- 3 green onions (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup kimchi
- 2 tbsp Gochujang
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 cups chicken stock (or 4 chicken stock bouillon cube dissolved in 4 cups of hot water)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 block tofu
- 2 heads baby bok choy (or 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage)
- 2 packs instant noodles
Optional
- American cheese slice
- Baked beans
- Eggs
- Rice cakes
- Mushrooms (you can use enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms or both!)
Directions
- Heat some oil in a pot over medium-high heat and cook the ground meat.
- Add green onions, garlic, kimchi and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add Gochujang and coat everything well for 30 seconds or so.
- Pour in chicken stock (or hot water followed by chicken stock bouillon cubes), then add soy sauce, sugar and tofu.
- Add baby bok choy and instant noodles. Cover the pot until the noodles become soft and veggies are cooked.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
With this comforting dish, you're now all set to snuggle up on your couch on a rainy day and dig into a steaming pot of budae jjigae while you watch Lee Minho in action on your screen ?
For more easy Korean dishes, make sure to check out these recipes: