🥘 🇰🇷 Kimchi Jjigae (김치찌개) Super Detailed Recipe + Editor's Best Hong Kong Family Guide

There's no denying that Korean kimchi hotpot is the epitome of "the ultimate stomach-warming dish." It's richly fragrant, spicy and sour, and packed with flavor. Perfect with rice, snacks, or hotpot, it's the go-to late-night snack for Hong Kongers binge-watching dramas! Korean supermarket ingredients are readily available in Hong Kong, so we recommend making it yourself once! It's guaranteed to make you forget restaurants!

Essential ingredients (serves 3-4)

• 200-400g Korean kimchi (it is recommended to use sour pickled kimchi for a richer and more authentic flavor)

• 200-300g pork belly/pork belly (sliced)

• 1/2 onion (shredded)

• 1 brick of soft tofu (cut into thick blocks, you can use flat tofu)

• 1 pack of enoki mushrooms/half a pack of shimeji mushrooms (optional)

• 2-3 dried mushrooms (soaked and sliced, optional)

• 1 bunch of vermicelli noodles or 200g rice cake (optional)

• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)

• 1 scallion (cut into sections, separate the white and green parts)

• 700-900ml water/chicken broth

• 1-2 tablespoons Korean chili sauce

• 1 tablespoon Korean chili powder

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce/light soy sauce to taste

• White sesame seeds, shredded seaweed (garnish)

Detailed cooking process

1️⃣ First, sauté the pork. Heat the pan and add oil (avoid adding too much oil as the pork belly will have its own fat). Fry one side of the pork until fragrant. Then add the minced garlic and onion and stir-fry until fragrant.
2️⃣ Add kimchi and stir-fry over high heat until soft and sour. It is recommended to add a little kimchi juice (for a stronger flavor).
3️⃣ Add chili sauce and chili powder and stir-fry evenly, then add chicken broth/water until just covering the ingredients.
4️⃣ Bring to a boil, add tofu, mushrooms, scallions, shiitake mushrooms, vermicelli (or rice cake), and season with soy sauce/fish sauce.
5️⃣ Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the soup is blended and the ingredients are flavorful.
6️⃣ Sprinkle with chopped green onions and sesame seeds before serving. If you like spicy food, add more chili powder!

Editor Upgrade Tips

• Old kimchi is the best for making soup, but if it’s too new, you can add a few drops of white vinegar.

• If you like seafood, you can add shrimp, fresh scallops, dried anchovies, and tuna (x3 taste levels).

• If you are new to seasoning, you can experiment with the soup base and then fine-tune the ratio of salt and fish sauce. Don't add too much chili sauce at once.

• Korean vermicelli, rice cakes, and instant noodles are all super delicious when rolled in it!

• The leftover soup base is great for cooking noodles, hot pot, or rice the next day.

A Korean kimchi hotpot, spicy, sour, and sizzling hot, it's both appetizing and warming. Enjoy it on a cold Hong Kong night, and we guarantee there won't be any leftovers! 🥘🌶️🍲

Here are 5 essential ingredients to make your Kimchi Jjigae spicier than Korean restaurants and boost your umami levels!

1. Korean scallop sauce (fresh scallops/frozen scallops)
   Add fresh or frozen scallops to the broth to release their sweetness, instantly elevating the stock. You can even use the scallop juice to marinate kimchi at the end for a burst of freshness!

2. Korean Dried Anchovies (멸치Myeolchi)/Dried Shrimp <br>When making soup, add a few dried anchovies or dried shrimps at the beginning (you can rinse them first to remove the salt). The umami flavor will seep directly into the soup base, and the aftertaste will be longer and more rich than chicken soup alone.

3. Beef bone soup/concentrated chicken soup cubes <br>It is easy to be bland if you use plain water. Add beef bone soup or chicken soup cubes to cook the base, and the kimchi soup base will immediately become milky white and "rich". This is what Korean street aunties do!

4. Shrimp granules/sea shrimp meat <br>The shrimp shells, shrimp meat and shrimp meat are put into the soup together. The small amount has enhanced the seafood flavor, and the meaty and fresh taste are upgraded at the same time. It is suitable for both new and old kimchi pots.

5. Minced garlic + Korean chili garlic sauce (쌈장Ssamjang)
   Add more garlic to the stir-fry base or pair it with Ssamjang, a chili sauce, for a savory yet sweet soup with a rich garlic flavor. The soup base is so rich and layered that you won’t want to leave a drop!

【Editor's Tips】

• You can add scallops, clams, or squid, and the more ingredients you add, the more flavorful it will be.

• Whatever leftovers are in the fridge, use them as you please. Add tofu, mushrooms, rice cakes, and these five "secret weapons"—it's as good as a Korean restaurant!

With these 5 ingredients, you can make your own kimchi hot pot, bursting with sweetness and freshness, and your friends and family will be asking "Why is it so delicious?"! 🔥🍲🦪🧄