Korean Napa Cabbage Anchovy Stew
Quick answer
- Total time
- 30 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Baechu myeolchi jjigae is a homestyle Korean stew that relies on dried anchovy stock as its flavor base, with napa cabbage as the central vegetable.
Read more
Large dried anchovies and kelp are simmered together for ten minutes to build a stock with pronounced umami, then strained so the broth is clear and clean. Baby napa cabbage cut into long vertical strips releases the natural sweetness of its pale inner stems into the broth as it cooks, providing a counterpoint to the saltiness of the anchovy stock. Thick-cut tofu slabs are placed between the cabbage layers, and thinly sliced onion adds another source of sweetness to the liquid. Diagonally cut cheongyang chili introduces a direct, sharp heat that gives life to what would otherwise be an entirely mild broth. Fifteen to twenty minutes of simmering is sufficient for the cabbage to soften fully and for its sugars to fully dissolve into the stock, creating the natural sweetness that defines this stew. No gochujang, no doenjang, no complicated sauce: the stew demonstrates a principle central to Korean home cooking, which holds that a well-constructed stock and a single honest vegetable can generate depth and satisfaction without further layering.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Remove the heads and dark innards from 20g dried anchovies so the broth will not taste bitter.
Cut 280g napa cabbage lengthwise into long strips, then thinly slice the onion and keep the thicker cabbage stems easy to add first.
- 2Control
Put 800ml water and the cleaned anchovies in a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, lower to medium heat and simmer for only 10 minutes, then strain immediately to keep the stock clean.
- 3Control
Return the clear stock to the pot and add the cabbage stems with 80g onion first.
Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, and when the stems look slightly translucent, add the leafy cabbage pieces.
- 4Control
Stir in 0.8 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce to season the stock.
When the broth returns to a boil, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer 5 minutes so the cabbage sweetens the liquid.
- 5Control
Cut 200g tofu into thick pieces and slide them between the cabbage strips.
Do not stir hard; spoon broth over the tofu and simmer about 4 minutes so it heats through without breaking.
- 6Finish
Add 1 diagonally sliced cheongyang chili and 0.3 teaspoon salt.
Taste the broth after the cabbage is soft; when it is lightly salty, gently sweet, and clean, turn off the heat and serve hot.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Napa cabbage and dried anchovies build homestyle umami in baechu myeolchi jjigae.
- Finish cue
- Taste the broth after the cabbage is soft; when it is lightly salty, gently sweet, and clean, turn off the heat and serve hot.
- Avoid this
- Do not boil anchovies too long; over 10 minutes can turn bitter.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
30min, 9 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 122 recipes
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