Yen Can Cook: Budae Jjigae (Army Stew)

Still remember I’ve whipped out the Korean sweet potato noodles (Japchae) the other day? Here’s the next Korean food recipe as per promised – Budae Jjigae!

Budae jjigae is a type of stew that incorporated surplus food from U.S. military bases during the Korean War. Food such as hot dogs, Spam, or baked beans was added into the Korean traditional spicy soup flavoured with gochujang (red chili paste) and kimchi.

Budae jjigae is popular in South Korea and modern ingredients such as instant noodles and sliced American cheese are often added into the stew. Other ingredients that may include are meat slices, onions, rice cakes, tofu, chili peppers, macaroni, mushrooms, and other vegetables.

Here’s my version, ingredients are flexible according to your preference.

Ingredients

Kimchi

Spam, sliced

Hot dogs

Bacon strips

Pork slices (optional)

1 Korean instant noodle

Rice cakes (optional)

Yellow Onion, thinly sliced

Mushrooms (optional)

Tofu (optional)

Tomato, cut into chunks (optional)

Sliced Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon Gochujang

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

Water

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Step 1: Slightly pan fried the Spam,bacon and hotdog, set aside.

Step 2: Heat oil on a pot, add in yellow onion and stir fry till soft.

Step 3: Add in kimchi and continue stir fry, add water and bring to boil. Add in Gochujang, soy sauce, sugar and instant noodle seasoning powder. Adjust the spiciness and taste according to preference.

Step 4: Put pork slices, mushrooms, tomato into the pot then topped with Spam, hotdogs, bacon, rice cakes and tofu, cook for 10 minutes or until the rice cakes are cooked.

Step 5: Follow by the instant noodle, cook till the noodles soften and topped with sliced cheese before served.

Note: Korean style is to cook at the table with a portable burner but if you don’t have a tabletop burner, you can cook it on the stove.

 

The sliced cheese not only contribute a subtle milky flavor to the broth but also helps to thicken the broth. Ma-si-sseo-yo!

HAPPY COOKING!