Craving for something hearty and spicy aka Korean food? Unfortunately, halal Korean food can't magically appear in front of you whenever you want it (sigh?) but we've got your back! Why moan and groan hungrily when you can make your own??
Credit: giphy
Budae jjigae (Korean Army Stew)
Budae jjigae is a spicy, savory, Korean-American fusion dish. This dish was invented after the Korean war, when food was scarce in South Korea. So, people started making use of surplus foods from U.S. military bases such as hot dogs, Spam, or ham. They then incorporated them into a traditional spicy soup flavored with gochujang (red chili paste) and kimchi.
Credit: Richard Lee on Flickr
#HHWT Tip: You can get the Korean chilli pepper paste & flakes at the Korean supermarket! In Singapore, there's a Korean mart located in POMO - building next to SOTA. There is no halal-certified brand yet, so you have to find the paste that does not contain alcohol. Other than that, the ingredients used are halal-friendly!
Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes
Feeds: 2-5 pax
Ingredients
For Stock:
- Anchovy/Chicken Stock - I just used 1 1/2 cube of the Maggi stock
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 medium-sized onion
- Korean cabbage (quantity depends on your preference)
- Kimchi - including its juices
- Chilli Padi (preference)
- Chopped scallion
For Sauce:
- 1 or 2 Samyang Spicy Sauce Pack (depends on your preference)
- 2 tblesp. Korean Chilli Pepper Paste
- 4-5 Korean Chilli Flakes
- 1 tsp. Sesame Oil
Others:
- Boiled egg
- Ramen noodles
- Rice cakes
- Chicken Sausage
- Cheese Tofu
- Enoki Mushrooms
- Chicken - cut to cubes
Steps
- Prepare your pot filled with water and dissolve your stock/if you have ready-made stock.
- Add the garlic and onion. Medium-low heat.
- Add the korean cabbage and let it simmer for about 3-4 minutes. (If you want to add some raw chicken, add it in this stage for more flavour)
- Add the kimchi, chilli padi and chopped scallion and let it simmer on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes to let the flavours seep through.
- Once this is done, add your sauce and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the rice cakes.
- Based on how cooked you like your ramen noodles to be, add it when you deem fit and for how long you plan to cook it.
- Add in the other ingredients and let the stew reach a thicker-than-water consistency with the lid closed on low heat.
- Add in salt if you feel the stew lacks flavour!
- Once cooked and finished, add a slice of cheese on top and garnish the stew with the seaweed/sesame seed pack (if you're using Samyang Noodles) and some chopped scallions!
Your tummy will be belly happy once you've fed it this delicious dish!? Oh, and if you are planning to visit Seoul, don't forget to download our HHWT Travel Planner app to find the top attractions, best halal food and prayer spaces in Seoul!
