To stave off burgeoning winters and bring the cozy back, this kimchi stew with the airs of a soup isn’t just for bringing forth the warmth but for setting your soul on fire. It is spicy hot and deliciously addictive in its sweat inducing mouthfuls of tofu, seafood and noodles cooked in a luridly red broth of Korean inspired fiery flavours.
Being a Korean inspired stew with the very essence of Korean cuisine that is Kimchi, this stew also needs a few Korean pantry essentials that is ‘Gochujang’ which is a thick spicy sweet Korean paste and Korean peppers called ‘Gochugaru’ which I think you can substitute with some paprika in this recipe or even chili powder from the Indian grocery. Apart from that the ingredients are straightforward. There’s garlic, fish, shrimp, kimchi, tofu (soft or hard are both alright as long as it’s not smoked), sliced green chillies and onions, chicken base, fish sauce, soya sauce and noodles of your choice.
In a clean bowl mix together the crushed garlic with the gochujang and red pepper flakes
And the soy sauce and fish sauce. Mix well to form a flavour base.
Heat a large pan and add in the kimchi. Stir it about lightly, making sure the pan isn’t very hot.
Add the flavour base to the pan and stir
Keep stirring until it begins thickening for about a minute. Then add enough water for the broth
Cover the pot and let it cook for at least ten minutes. Add more water if it gets too thick
After ten minutes add the seafood and the chicken base.
And just as it starts to come up to a bubble add the tofu.
Followed by thinly slices onions, reserving a few for final garnish. Bring it to a boil and let it bubble a few minutes before adding in the noodles.
After a few minutes of boiling add in the noodles (preferably cooked noodles). Let it come to a simmer before serving.
Garnish with sliced green chillies and thinly slices onions.
Recipe ingredients
Kimchi: 150g
Gochujang: 50g
Fish sauce: 2 tbsp
Soy sauce: 2 tbsp
Chicken base (optional):1 tsp
Crushed garlic: 1 tbsp
Korean chilli peppers (gochugaru): 1 tbsp
Fish/shrimp/seafood of choice: 100-200g
Tofu: 150-200g
Noodles (cooked): 200g
Onion: 1 small thinly sliced
Green chillies (optional): chopped
Water: 700mls
Recipe instructions
In a clean bowl mix together the gochujang paste with crushed garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce and red peppers to make the flavour base for the stew.
In a large pan on medium heat cook the kimchi lightly for a few seconds until just warmed through. Add the flavour base for the stew and stir it with the kimchi until it begins to thicken. Add water and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover and cook for about ten minutes to let all the flavours mix well.
After ten minutes add the seafood to the broth, followed by the chicken base if using and let it come to a quick bubble before adding in the tofu and finely sliced onions. Reserve a few slivers for garnishing later.
Cover the pot and let it cook for another five minutes after finally adding in the cooked noodles.
Let everything come to a gentle simmer before finally dishing spicy ladlefuls into bowls and garnishing with green chillies if using and reserved slices of onions.
Serve hot!
Driedredchillies 