Mixed Korean Army-Style Stew
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Seokkeo jjigae, or mixed stew, is a streamlined everyday version of budae jjigae that brings together kimchi, sliced ham, and tofu in a broth seasoned with gochujang and gochugaru.
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The fermented tang of well-ripened kimchi, the saltiness of the ham, and the soft neutral presence of tofu create a balanced combination where each component gives the others something to push against. Onion and green onion mellow the broth as they cook, their sweetness rounding off the sharpest spicy edges, while the gochujang contributes fermented depth that pure heat alone cannot provide. The stew comes together in under twenty minutes using common refrigerator staples, making it a reliable weeknight meal that requires almost no preparation. Served alongside a bowl of steamed rice, the spicy broth absorbs into each grain and keeps the dish satisfying to the very last spoonful. A portion of instant noodles or rice cakes added to the pot turns it into a more substantial one-pot meal.
Ingredients
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Cut 220g of kimchi into 2cm strips, slice 180g of ham into 1cm thick pieces, cube 300g of tofu into 2cm squares, and cut 100g of onion into thick strips.
- 2Control
Cook the kimchi in the pot over medium heat for 2 minutes to soften its acidity.
Continue when surface moisture has reduced and the aroma rises.
- 3Season
Add 1 tablespoon of gochujang and 1 tablespoon of gochugaru and stir-fry with the kimchi for another 30 seconds until the seasoning aroma fully develops.
- 4Control
Pour in 900ml of water, add ham and onion, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
The ham's saltiness combines with the kimchi brine to create a complex broth.
- 5Control
Add tofu and simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes until the tofu absorbs the broth and takes on the seasoning.
- 6Control
Add 1 diagonally sliced green onion and simmer for 2 more minutes.
Taste the broth once the saltiness from the ham has dispersed, then turn off the heat.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Seokkeo jjigae grounds salty ham and silken tofu with sautéed aged kimchi, utilizing gochujang to pair these diverse pantry staples into one pot.
- Finish cue
- Add 1 diagonally sliced green onion and simmer for 2 more minutes.
- Storage and reheating
- The stew comes together in under twenty minutes using common refrigerator staples, making it a reliable weeknight meal that requires almost no preparation.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
45min, 8 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 122 recipes
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