Table of Contents
- Introduction to “Kimchi Jjigae (김치찌개)”
- Recipe - Ryu Soo-young’s “Kimchi Jjigae for
Life (평생 김치찌개)”
• Cooking Video
• Main Ingredients
• Seasoning
• Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
- Taste and Nutritional Components of “Kimchi Jjigae”
[Appendix] Translated Video Script
 |
| Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew) [Photo Credit] Cloudpic |
Introduction
to “Kimchi Jjigae (김치찌개)”
Kimchi
Jjigae (김치찌개) is one of Korea’s most beloved comfort foods
- a hearty, spicy stew built around aged kimchi. This dish is a staple in
Korean homes and restaurants, cherished for its deep, tangy flavor and warming
qualities. The secret to its rich taste lies in well-fermented kimchi, which
gives the stew its signature sourness and complexity. Kimchi jjigae is often
enjoyed with steamed rice and is perfect for sharing with family or friends,
especially on chilly days.
Recipe
- Ryu Soo-young’s “Kimchi Jjigae for Life (평생 김치찌개)”
📺 Video - Ryu Soo-young’s “Kimchi Jjigae for Life”, New Release, Fun-Staurant
🛒 Main Ingredients
•
1/4 head of well-fermented kimchi (or aged kimchi), approx. 600g
•
300g pork front leg meat or pork shoulder (stew cut)
•
1 onion
•
1 stalk of green onion
•
1/2 block of tofu
•
1L water
•
100ml kimchi brine
⚖️ Seasoning
•
1 tbsp minced garlic
•
1 tbsp salted shrimp (saeujeot, 새우젓)
•
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
•
2 tbsp Korean red chili flakes (gochugaru, 고춧가루)
•
1 tsp coarse salt
•
1 tbsp vinegar
•
A little cooking oil
📖 Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
1.
Prepare the Ingredients
-
Slice the onion and cut the green onion into large chunks.
-
Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces.
-
Chop the kimchi into generous pieces.
2.
Preheat the Pot & Stir-Fry the Pork
-
Preheat a stainless steel pot over medium heat for 3 minutes.
-
Add a swirl of oil, then stir-fry the pork until golden brown and the fat is
rendered.
🐾 If
smoke rises, cover the pot with a lid briefly.
3.
Add Garlic, Salted Shrimp & Soy Sauce
-
Add 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp salted shrimp, and 2 tbsp soy sauce. Stir-fry the
pork.
🐾 Move
the pork and seasonings to one side, create a gap, pour in the soy sauce, let
it bubble for a moment, then stir everything together.
4.
Add Gochugaru (Red Chili Flakes)
-
Turn off the heat. Add 2 tbsp gochugaru and let it gently toast in the residual
heat to release chili oil.
5.
Add Water & Bring to a Boil
- Pour in 1 L of water and turn the heat
to high.
6.
Add Vegetables & Kimchi
-
Add the sliced onion, green onion, and chopped kimchi.
7.
Add Kimchi Brine
-
Pour 100ml of kimchi brine and boil the stew on high heat.
8.
Season & Simmer
-
Once boiling, season with 1 tsp coarse salt.
-
Cover with a lid, reduce to medium heat, and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
🐾 The
longer you simmer kimchi stew, the richer and more profound the flavor becomes.
9.
Taste & Adjust Midway
-
If too salty, add water. If too bland, keep boiling.
10.
Add Vinegar & Tofu
-
Add 1 tbsp of vinegar for a tangy kick.
- Add tofu and simmer over medium heat
for about three more minutes until the tofu is warmed.
11.
Final Touch (Optional)
-
Heat a stone pot (ttukbaegi, 뚝배기) and transfer the stew into it for serving.
📌 Cooking Tips
-
Store store-bought kimchi deep in your
fridge for 3 weeks to let it age properly.
-
Use at least 1/4 head of kimchi—more is better than less.
-
Choose pork front leg meat with plenty of fat for extra richness.
-
Add saeujeot and vinegar for enhanced umami and a clean finish.
-
When buying saeujeot(새우젓), go for larger shrimp (called yukjeot, 육젖)
if possible.
-
Rendering fat from fatty pork is key to achieving a savory flavor base.
-
This stew crosses kimchi-jjim (braised kimchi) and kimchi-jjigae (kimchi stew),
with a thicker, more concentrated broth.
This
exact recipe is based on Ryu Soo-young’s “Lifetime Kimchi Stew” as featured on
KBS <Fun-Staurant (편스토랑)>.
🥢 Enjoying the Dish
Kimchi
stew is best enjoyed with a bowl of warm rice. Make it the star of your family
dinner and let the comfort begin.
🐾 You can purchase all the ingredients and seasonings at a Korean
market.
- If you
need to, please read and refer to the following post introducing Korean
ingredients and seasonings.
🔖 The Ultimate Guide to Korean Seasonings and Sauces for Home Cooks
Taste and Nutritional Components of “Kimchi Jjigae”
Flavor Profile
Kimchi
jjigae is celebrated for its bold, layered flavors. The stew combines the sour
and spicy notes of aged kimchi with the savory richness of pork (or sometimes
tuna or Pacific saury), the silkiness of tofu, and the sweetness of onions.
Seasonings like gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), soy sauce, and garlic
round out the taste, while a splash of kimchi juice intensifies the overall
depth. The result is a spicy, tangy, umami-rich, and deeply satisfying stew.
Nutritional Components
A
typical serving of kimchi jjigae (about one bowl) contains approximately
380–500 calories, depending on the protein and tofu amounts used. The stew
is:
- High protein: About
28g per serving, especially when made with pork or tofu.
- Rich
in vitamins and minerals: Provides potassium, calcium, iron, and vitamin
K, primarily from kimchi, tofu, and vegetables.
- Low in
carbohydrates: Kimchi jjigae is relatively low in carbs, making it
suitable for low-carb diets.
- Contains
healthy fats: The fat content comes mainly from pork and tofu, with some
saturated fat present.
- Probiotic
benefits: The fermented kimchi in the stew can support gut health,
although some probiotics are reduced during cooking.
[Appendix] Translated Video Script
I have
translated only Ryu Soo-young's dialogue from the cooking session. Please refer
to it.
🗣️ Transcript Video
00:00:
당신의
김치찌개가
맛없는
이유?
Why
is your kimchi jjigae not delicious?
00:02:
제일
중요한
거
김치가
맛이
없어서.
The
most important reason? The kimchi isn’t tasty.
00:06:
그래서
김치를
잘
익히는
게
중요해요.
That’s
why fermenting the kimchi well is crucial.
00:08:
김치찌개(의
맛)에 90% 달렸다고
봐도
과언이
아니에요.
Honestly,
90% of the stew’s flavor depends on the kimchi.
00:11:
김장한지
두
세
달
지난
김치
딱
좋아요. 꼬부라지기
전에
그
새콤하면서
달콤하면서
그
시원한
그
맛.
Kimchi
2 to 3 months old is perfect—right before it gets too soft, with that tangy,
sweet, refreshing flavor.
00:21:
라면에
싹
쌓아
먹고
싶은
그런
김치
딱
좋아요.
You’d
love to pile that kind of kimchi on ramen—just right.
00:26:
그리고
없다면
시판
김치를
사서
냉장고
저
안쪽에
넣어두고 3주만
묵혀라.
If
you don’t have it, buy store-bought kimchi and leave it deep in your fridge for
three weeks.
00:35:
삼주
이상만
묵히면
맛있는
김치
드실
수
있어요.
Let
it ferment for over three weeks, and it’ll turn delicious.
00:45:
아
냄새가
미쳤어. 김치가
Ah,
the smell is crazy. That kimchi...
00:50:
시판
김치가
냉장고에서
숙성만
잘
시키면
맛있어져요.
Even
store-bought kimchi gets tasty if it’s aged well in the fridge.
01:04:
내가
밥
데어
놨어.
I’ve
already kept the rice warm.
01:14:
이렇게
싸서
먹는
게 …
Wrapping
it like this to eat...
01:19:
김치가
얼만큼
맛있는
건지 …
Just
how flavorful this kimchi is...
01:38:
여러분의
김치(찌개)가
맛이
없던
이유, 두
번째
그것은
바로
김치가
너무
적어서!
The
second reason your kimchi jjigae wasn’t good? Not enough kimchi!
01:45:
김치가
최소한 1/4포기는
돼야
됩니다. 파는
김치
기준이에요.
You
need at least a quarter head of kimchi, based on store-bought.
01:49:
이
정도 1/4포기
모자라면
안돼요. 넘치는
건
너무
좋아요.
A
quarter head is the minimum—more is even better.
01:55:
자
그리고
필요한
거
뭐죠?
Okay,
and what else do we need?
01:58:
김치의
친구, 돼지고기!
Kimchi’s
best friend—pork!
02:04:
앞다리살
찌개거리
쓰시면
되고요. 비계
많이
붙은
쪽으로
사세요.
Use
pork front leg meat (pork shoulder cuts), and choose the fatty pieces.
02:10:
비계가
많아야
맛에
그
감칠
맛이
있어요.
The
fat gives it that rich umami flavor.
02:14:
돼지고기가
딱 300g 반근이면
충분해요.
About
300g of pork—half a geun (old Korean measurement units) —is correct.
02:17:
김치
양의
절반, 저는
그렇게
끓여요. 그래야
식구들끼리
먹을
때
풍족하게
고기를
먹어요.
I
use half the amount of pork to kimchi, so everyone gets plenty of meat.
02:23:
자
김치 600g에
돼지고기 300g 그쯤
들어가야지 (국물이) 묵직해져요. 국물이
시원해지고
맛있어요.
600g
of kimchi with 300g of pork makes the broth rich and flavorful.
02:30:
그리고
필요한
거
뭐? 양파.
Next
ingredient? Onion.
02:33:
양파
중요합니다. 파는
숭덩숭덩 (잘라요.) 나중에
숟가락에
걸릴
수
있게요. 두부는
반
모면
돼요.
Onions
are key. Cut green onions big so they show up on the spoon. Half a block of
tofu is enough.
02:42:
냄비
저는 22cm에요.
My
pot is 22cm wide.
02:46:
요정도
크기
요거는 (크기가) 내
얼굴만큼은
넘어가야
돼요.
This
size should be at least bigger than my face.
02:51:
자, 시작하면
됩니다.
Okay,
let’s get started.
02:55:
보통
스텐 (냄비) 많이
쓰실
거예요. 그럼
예열을
한
다음에
하세요. 스텐팬을
예열할
때
중불에
놓고
뚜껑
닫아놔요.
Most
people use stainless pots. In that case, preheat them first. Then, put them on
medium heat with the lid closed.
03:03:
그리고
보통
한 3분
기다려요.
Usually,
wait about three minutes.
03:05:
여기다가
기름 (한
바퀴
두르고,) 고기
넣으세요.
Add
a swirl of oil here, then put in the meat.
03:11:
안
달라붙어요. 근데
연기가
날
수
있어요.
It
won’t stick. But it might smoke.
03:14:
그러면
너무
놀라지
말고
뚜껑
덮으셔도
돼요.
If
that happens, don’t panic—just cover it with the lid.
03:16:
자
이렇게
해서
이제
기름을
쭉쭉
뽑아
줄
거예요. 금방
어우
기름이
쭉쭉
나와.
Now
we’re going to extract the fat. Look—it's coming out fast.
03:27:
한번
구워주면
마이아르
이펙트도
일어나고
그리고
국물맛도
좋아지고. 고기에서
기름도
빼날
수
있죠.
A
quick sear creates the Maillard effect, deepens the broth flavor, and releases
fat from the meat.
03:36:
기름
엄청
많아졌죠. 마늘, 다진
마늘
한
숟가락.
See
how much oil there is now? Add one spoonful of minced garlic.
03:43:
계속
중불이에요. 그리고
마늘
매운
내만
살짝
빠지면
필요한
거
뭐?
Still
on medium heat. Once the sharpness of the garlic mellows out, what’s next?
03:53:
돼지고기에
잘
어울리는
거.
Something
that pairs well with pork.
03:57:
그리고
시원한
맛. 우리가
갖고
있는
젓갈
중에
가장
시원하고
맛있고
유명한
바로
그것.
And
for that clean flavor, the coolest, tastiest, and most famous salted
seafoods.
04:03:
새우젓.
Salted
shrimp.
04:07:
저걸로
간을
하거든요.
That’s
what we season with.
04:12:
새우젓
사실
때
작은
거보다
큰
거
사시면
돼요. 제일
중요한
건
맛.
When
buying it, get the bigger shrimp if possible. What matters most is flavor.
04:18:
입에
들어가서
씹었을
때
그
감칠
맛은
좀
다른
거
같아.
That
umami when you bite into it—feels different, in a good way.
04:22:
김치찌개는
시원하고
깔끔한데, 빡
소주
한잔을
불러야
되는데
그러려면
깔끔해야
돼.
Kimchi
stew should be clean, refreshing—the kind that calls for a shot of soju—and clean-tasting.
04:27:
까나리, 멸치, 참치
액젓, 이런
거
쓰지
마세요. 새우젓만
쓰세요.
Don’t
use sand lance, anchovy, or tuna sauce; just salted shrimp.
04:31:
멸치액젓
이런
거보다
새우젓이
훨씬
깔끔하고
시원해요.
Salted
shrimp tastes much cleaner and cooler than anchovy sauce.
04:37:
얼만큼? 한
숟가락. 저건
전
육젓을
썼는데, 일반
새우젓
상관없어요.
How
much? One tablespoon. I used yukjeot (matured shrimp), but regular is fine.
04:42:
건더기를
많이
넣어
주세요.
Add
plenty of solid bits.
04:47:
살짝
구워
주고, 간장
두
개, 고기
없는
데다가
이렇게
한번
날려
줘야
되지.
Please
give it a quick sear, then splash in two spoons of soy sauce on a meat-free
spot.
04:55:
이제
다
아시죠. 이제
돼지기름에
간장이
들어가면
무조건
맛있게
돼.
You
know the drill—soy sauce hitting pork fat always tastes fantastic.
05:00:
(간장이) 바르르르
끓었으면
이제
섞어주면
돼요.
Once
the soy sauce sizzles, mix it all.
05:05:
그리고
불
줄이고
고춧가루
둘.
Lower
the heat and add two spoons of chili powder.
05:10:
이렇게
넣고
뭐해요? 불을
꺼버려. 그리고
잔열로
뒤적뒤적
하면은
고추기름
충분히
나와요.
After
adding it, turn off the heat and stir with residual heat to release enough
chili oil.
05:24:
보통
여기다
김치를
넣고
볶죠, 같이?
Usually,
you add kimchi now and stir-fry it.
05:30:
난
오히려 (김치를) 안
볶는
게, 국물이
깔끔하더라고.
But
I prefer not to—it keeps the broth cleaner.
05:32:
김치까지
볶지
마세요. 굳이.
No
need to stir-fry the kimchi too.
05:35:
잘익은
김치는
물
붓고
나중에
넣는
게
더
깔끔해지더라고요.
Fermented
kimchi tastes cleaner when added after the water.
05:47:
물부터
넣을
거예요. 그러니까. 자
물을
붓고, 1L, 다시
불을
켭니다.
So
first, pour in 1 liter of water. Then turn the heat back on.
05:54:
물
넣은
순간부터
강불로
올리세요.
Once
the water’s in, go high heat.
05:58:
끓여야겠죠. 벌써
김치
안
넣었는데, 빨갛게
됐잖아요.
It
needs to boil. See? It’s already red even without the kimchi.
06:00:
자
그다음에
뭐예요? 자
넣으세요. 양파. 파도
한
대.
Next?
In go the onions. And one stalk of green onion.
06:07:
자
그
다음
김치
넣어야죠.
Now
is the time to add the kimchi.
06:12:
제
개인적인
취향은
이쪽(이파리)은
길게
좀
썰고, 오히려
대공들(줄기)은
좀
짧게
써는
편이에요.
Personally,
I cut the leafy parts long and the stems short.
06:25:
그리고
마지막으로
이제
김치찌개(에서) 제일
중요한
거는
사실은
이거예요.
And
the most essential thing in kimchi jjigae is this.
06:33:
김치
국물 100ml.
100ml
of kimchi juice.
06:41:
김치국물이
제가
보기엔
최고의
어떤
조미료가
아닐까?
In
my opinion, kimchi juice is the best seasoning.
06:48:
강불로
끓이시면
돼요.
Just
boil it on high heat.
06:53:
자
지금
보면은
빡빡해요. 빡빡
해야
돼. 찌개는
뭐다?
Now
look—it’s thick. And it should be. A jjigae is what?
06:57:
떠먹는
반찬이에요. 국이
아니에요.
It’s
a side dish you scoop up, not soup.
07:01:
빡빡해야
돼. 자
끓습니다
빠글빠글
끓습니다.
It
needs to be thick. It's bubbling now!
07:03:
그럴
때, 자
여기다
간만
합시다.
At
this point, let’s season it.
07:05:
(굵은
소금 1티스푼) 요만큼만
넣자고요.
Add
just one teaspoon of coarse salt.
07:10:
뚜껑을
닫고, 중불. 그리고
최소한 30분
이상 (끓여야
합니다.)
Close
the lid, set it to medium heat, and boil for at least 30 minutes.
07:15:
30분
이상.
At
least 30 minutes.
07:18:
여러분의
김치(찌개)가
맛없는
이유, 중요한
거
하나. 너무
덜
끓여서
그래요.
Another
reason your kimchi stew lacks flavor? It’s underboiled.
07:22:
충분히
끓여라! 40분.
Boil
it thoroughly—40 minutes.
07:32:
어렵지
않아요, 김치찌개가
Kimchi
jjigae isn’t hard to make.
07:35:
아
김치찌개
만들었으니까
책
나와야죠.
Since
I made kimchi jjigae, I should publish a book, right?
The
story of Chef Eo-Nam (Ryu Soo-young)’s cookbook continues.
Unfortunately,
it hasn’t been published yet.
09:32:
중간
점검해볼까요?
Shall
we check in the middle?
09:41:
자
보시면은
김치가
이렇게
흐물흐물하게
돼야
돼. (김치가
투명해진다.)
See
here? The kimchi should be this soft and translucent.
09:52:
먹어보고
좀
너무
간간하다(짜다) 싶으면은
물을
반드시
소주잔
하나
정도만
넣으세요.
If
it tastes too salty, just add one glass of water.
09:56:
그리고
싱겁다
싶으시면
조금
더
졸이시면
돼요. 이제
다
됐어요.
And
if it’s too bland, simmer it a bit more. It’s nearly done.
10:00:
시간
다
됐어요. 전 40분쯤
끓였어요.
Time’s
up. I boiled it for about 40 minutes.
10:09:
간을
보면
좋은데, 여기다
식초를
넣으면 (맛이) 조금
더
올라가요.
Tasting
it is excellent, but adding a bit of vinegar can really elevate the flavor.
10:24:
식초를
한
숟가락
정도만
살살
넣어서,
Just
drizzle in about a tablespoon of vinegar,
10:28:
제가
식초
넣은
이유는
그
신맛을
탁
쳐
가지고
넣었을
때
캬하는
느낌을
주려고
하는
거
I
add vinegar for that tangy kick—that kyah! feeling when you taste it.
10:37:
식초의
신맛은
금방
날아가요. 끓이면. 처음에
The
sourness of vinegar evaporates quickly when boiled—at the start,
10:39:
처음에
넣으면
소용이
없고요. 나중에.
So
if you add it early, it’s pointless. Add it at the end.
10:42:
우선
간을
봐야
돼요.
First,
taste it.
10:46:
좋아요
다
됐어요. 이렇게
하고
Nice—it’s
done. Now we...
10:50:
이렇게
하고
두부가
따뜻해질
때까지만 (시간을) 채우자고요.
Let’s
just wait until the tofu gets warm.
10:58:
끝!
Done!
11:00:
예쁘게
옮겨
볼까요.
Shall
we plate it nicely?
11:03:
뚝배기를
좀
달궈
놨어요.
I’ve
preheated the earthen pot.
11:13:
국물이
자작해야
돼요. 저렇게
돼야
맛있어요.
The
broth should be minimal, just like this. That’s how it’s tasty.
11:24:
한
번
배워두면
평생
가능! 평생
김치찌개!
Learn
it once, and you’re set for lifetime kimchi jjigae!
12:14:
한
가지
팁을
드리면, 우리집
김치가
조금
약하다 (맛이
없다) 싶으면
된장을
한
숟가락
넣으세요. 맛이
두꺼워져요. (맛있어져요.) 된장
냄새
안나요.
Here’s
a tip: if your kimchi’s flavor feels weak, add a spoonful of doenjang (soybean
paste). It deepens the taste, without any smell.
12:22:
나머진
그대로
따라하시면
분명히
맛있으니까요. 한
번
해보세요. 후회
안합니다.
Follow
the rest exactly, and it’ll be delicious. Give it a try. You won’t regret it.
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