Korean Kimchi Porridge (Fermented Kimchi Pork Rice Porridge)

Quick answer

Total time: 50 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Well-fermented napa kimchi is chopped into small pieces and stir-fried with ground pork in sesame oil first, building a savory, aromatic base before the soaked rice and water go in for a slow, gentle simmer of thirty minutes.

The extended cooking time is what fundamentally changes the character of the dish: the raw, sharp edge of the chili fades and the fermentation tang disperses through the porridge evenly, becoming deep and mellow rather than assertive, while the pork contributes a rich savory backbone that plain kimchi alone could not provide. Soup soy sauce is added toward the end to adjust the salt, and sesame seeds scattered over the finished bowl add a final nutty aroma. The more sour and deeply fermented the kimchi used, the more complex and layered the finished juk becomes -- bright red in color and bold in flavor. This is a traditional Korean porridge associated with recovery and comfort, eaten warm when the stomach is unsettled, appetite has gone quiet, or the cold calls for something deeply nourishing. Diced silken tofu added during the last few minutes of simmering introduces a new texture and adds protein without disrupting the clean, porridge-like consistency.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

rice1 cupcup

fermented kimchi200 gg

ground pork100 gg

water1200 mlml

sesame oil1 tsts

soup soy sauce1 tsts

sesame seeds1 tsts

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Rinse 1 cup rice until the water runs mostly clear, then soak it for 30 minutes.

Drain it in a sieve briefly so the grains are hydrated but not waterlogged before they go into the porridge.
2

Prep

Lift 200 g fermented kimchi from its liquid and chop it into small pieces.

Keep the pieces smaller than a bite, because large kimchi leaves stay stringy and make the soft porridge harder to eat.
3

Control

Warm 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a heavy pot over medium low heat.

Add 100 g ground pork and stir until the pink color disappears, breaking up clumps so the pork seasons the base evenly.
4

Heat

Stir-fry the kimchi until the oil turns red and the sharp sour aroma softens.

If the pot dries, lower the heat and keep stirring to prevent sticking.
5

Control

Add the soaked rice and 1200 ml water, then bring it just to a boil.

Lower to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often until the grains open and the porridge thickens.
6

Finish

When the grains crush softly against a spoon, season with 1 teaspoon soup soy sauce.

Simmer 1 minute more so the salt spreads evenly, then bowl the porridge and finish with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Slow simmering mellows the sharp spice of fermented napa kimchi into a gentle tang for kimchi juk.
Finish cue: Keep the pieces smaller than a bite, because large kimchi leaves stay stringy and make the soft porridge harder to eat.