When it's cold and grey outside, I think you'd agree that there's nothing better to put you in a positive frame of mind than a tasty & nourishing hotpot.
This recipe has it's origins in Korea where it is called Jigae which translates as "Army hotpot". The key ingredient here is kimchi, that lovely, spicy fermented vegetable creation beloved of Koreans everywhere (and millions of non-Koreans, like me!)
There are lots of variants of this stew, some using noodles, others using spam and cocktail sausages (which the American army introduced during the Korean war - hence the army connection), to name but two.
In my recipe, I use tofu and a little pork shoulder to enrich the broth - if you want a vegetarian option, then you can simply omit the pork. I love soft cooked eggs, so I include a couple of those as well. The other optional ingredient (although Koreans would insist on it) is Gochujang which is a fiery Korean chili sauce condiment - I use it here for some extra heat but again, if you prefer more muted flavours - the kimchi is plenty flavourful by itself - then you can dispense with it.
So there it is, a little peeling and slicing and then 15 minutes of cooking and it's ready for the table. I serve this with steamed rice but you could serve it with noodles just as well and it will still be a splendid taste experience.
If you'd like to try this out, then you can find the written recipe below and the youtube tutorial by clicking Kimchi and Tofu hotpot or scroll to the bottom of the page.
Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX.
For an alternative but equally tasty and warming Korean dish, why not try out my Bibimbap recipe?
Kimchi and Tofu hotpot
ingredients:
(makes 2 servings)
1 onion
1/2 leek
1 pork shoulder steak
400g firm tofu
200g kimchi
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic paste
500ml water
2 tsp vegetable stock powder
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Korean chilli paste (gochujang), optional
how to:
halve the onion and thinly slice
thinly slice 1/2 a leek diagonally
halve the tofu lengthways and cut into 1 cm slices
halve the pork steak lengthways and slice thinly
heat the sesame oil in a pan, add the pork, garlic paste & onion and stir fry for 1 min
add the water, vegetable stock , soy sauce, kimchi & leek and bring to the boil & cook for 5-7 mins
then add the chilli paste, tofu and cook for a further 5 mins
add the eggs and simmer until they are cooked but still very soft
your dish is ready - just serve with a bowl of rice
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