Korean Army Stew (Budae Jjigae)

Korean Army Stew (Budae Jjigae) Recipe

• Serves: 2-4
• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 20 mins

Traditionally, Budae Jjigae consists of western ingredients such as spam, hot dogs, cheese and baked beans, along with seasonal and fresh ingredients. Feel free to adapt this recipe with your favourite vegetables.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp gochujang (chilli paste)
• 1/2 tbsp gochugaru (hot chilli pepper powder)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp garlic powder or use 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp rice wine optional
• 750 ml chicken or anchovy stock
• fish sauce (or salt) to taste
• 100 grams minced beef marinated with 1 tbsp gochujiang, 1 tsp sesame oil and white pepper
• 3 hot dogs (sausages/frankfurters) sliced to smaller sections
• 1/2 can spam or (luncheon meat)
• 1/2 leek sliced to 1 cm length
• 1/2 white onion roughly chopped
• 100 grams button mushrooms sliced thinly
• 30 grams dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles) soaked in water until softened
• 100 grams duk guk (flat oval rice cakes)
• 1 cup cut kimchi
• 1 x 200 grams baked beans
• cheese slices
• 1 packet ramyeon (instant noodles)
• chilli slices and spring onions garnishing

Instructions

1. Make the soup paste by combining gochujang, gochugaru, sesame oil, garlic powder and rice wine in a bowl.
   
2. In a soup pot, bring chicken or anchovy stock to a boil and dissolve the soup paste in it. Season to taste with fish sauce (or salt) and more gochugaru, if needed. Turn off the stove.
   
3. In a shallow casserole, arrange all the ingredients in a platter.
   
4. When ready to serve, add prepared soup base to the casserole. Bring the soup to a simmer and gently break the minced beef to smaller pieces with a spatula. Cover with lid and simmer the stew for about 10 minutes to cook all the ingredients.
   
5. After 10 minutes, add cheese slices on top and cook one packet of ramyeon (without the seasoning). Garnish with chilli and spring onions.