Easy Korean Army Stew - Budae Jjigae
Spice things up with this quick and easy Korean Army Stew, on the table in less than 30 minutes! Filled with noodles, kimchi and veggies, this mouthwatering budae jjigae recipe is perfect for sharing and cooking with friends!
Servings 4 people
Calories 315kcal
Cost $5-10
Equipment
- Large flat-bottomed fry pan, cast iron fry pan, or portable electric cooker
Ingredients
For the Stock:
- 4 cups chicken stock sub with dashi or anchovy stock
- 2 tbsp Korean hot pepper paste / gochujang or substitute with 2 tbsp chilli flakes blended with a pinch of sugar and a dash of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp garlic minced or fresh
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp cooking rice wine / cooking sake
- 2 tsp Korean hot pepper flakes / gochugaru or regular chilli flakes
- 2 tsp sugar
For the Main Ingredients
- instant noodles 1 - 2 packets
- spam or frankfurts sliced into 2-3cm pieces
- Korean rice cakes (tteok) sliced or cylinder version
- kimchi
- cabbage roughly chopped
- enoki mushrooms base removed, separated into small bunches
- tofu sliced into small cubes
- cheese sliced or shredded
Instructions
For the stock:
- Add all the stock ingredients (chicken stock, gochujang, garlic, soy sauce, cooking wine, hot pepper flakes and sugar) into a large electric fry pan, wok or shallow pot. Stir together over low heat.4 cups chicken stock, 2 tbsp Korean hot pepper paste / gochujang, 1 tbsp garlic, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp cooking rice wine / cooking sake, 2 tsp Korean hot pepper flakes / gochugaru, 2 tsp sugar
To assemble:
- Layer your main ingredients (instant noodles, frankfurts, tteok rice cakes, kimchi, cabbage, enoki and tofu) artfully in the pan or mixed in together - it's up to you!instant noodles, spam or frankfurts, Korean rice cakes (tteok), kimchi, cabbage, enoki mushrooms, tofu
- Turn up the heat and sprinkle with generous amounts of cheese. Cook on high until ingredients such as noodles and frankfurts are fully cooked through.cheese
- Serve hot pot style in the middle of the table and allow everyone to help themselves, or portion out into individual soup bowls.
Video
Notes
- Ingredient Quantities - The below recipe includes quantities for stock ingredients, but not for the main ingredients. This is because it really depends on how much you want to cook (or how hungry you are). You can easily prepare as much or as little as you like, and add more ingredients to cook as you go if you’re still hungry.
- Cook Together - If you have a portable induction cooker and an induction suitable hot pot, shallow pot or saucepan, this dish is fun and easy to cook right on the table with friends and family. It’s so entertaining and a great way to enjoy delicious food and fun conversation together. But you can also just as easily cook it on the stove and portion out into individual soup bowls.
- Storage - Leftover army base stew is amazing the next day. If your pan has a lid and fits in the fridge, you can store it overnight once it’s fully cooked down. Otherwise transfer to an airtight container first. Reheat on the stove the next day until it just comes to the boil. You can add more fresh ingredients to make it go even further too. Note: Leftover noodles tend to soak up a lot of the liquid, so they are best enjoyed fresh.
- Other Additions:
- Baked Beans - A great way to add extra flavour and nutrition and help thicken up the stew. Start with a few spoonfuls or around ¼ cup – not too much as they can be quite sweet.
- Extra Veggies - If you’re vegan or vegetarian, add thinly sliced carrot, eggplant or zucchini, or some chopped bok choy, gai lan or broccoli.
- Dumplings - Add a few wontons or dumplings per person (you can cook them directly in the broth, just add them first to make sure they cook all the way through).
Nutrition
Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 827mg | Potassium: 447mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 613IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 2mg