Kimchi Beef Stew (Kimchi Jjigae)
I have to thank my friend David for a lot of things in my life—but especially for teaching me how to eat a variety of Korean foods, and how to eat a lot of it from a shared plate while pretending he ate most of it. He introduced me to this spicy, fragrant kimchi stew on a cold, wet, rainy day in New York. I crave this when it rains. It’s also a great use for kimchi that may have been aging gracefully in your fridge for a while.
Servings Prep Time
6servings 10minutes
Cook Time
35minutes
Servings Prep Time
6servings 10minutes
Cook Time
35minutes
Ingredients
  • 1pound beefcut into 2 inch cubes, preferably a fatty cut
  • 2cups prepared kimchi
  • 2cups Water
  • 1cup chopped yellow onions
  • 1cup dried shiitake mushroomsor other dried mushrooms
  • 1tbsp minced Garlic
  • 1tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1tbsp gochugaruKorean ground red pepper or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper,
  • 1tbsp gochujangKorean red chile paste
  • 1/2tsp sugar
  • salt
  • 1/2cup Sliced scallionsfor serving
  • 1cup diced firm tofufor serving (optional)
Instructions
  1. In the Instant Pot, combine the beef, kimchi, water, onions, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, gochugaru, gochujang, and sugar.
  2. Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve. Select MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK and set the pot at HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to sit undisturbed until the pressure has released.
  3. Taste and season with salt. Stir in the scallions and the tofu, if desired, and serve.
Recipe Notes

• First things first. There is NO substitute for gochujang. None. Don’t even try. Don’t even ask me, I won’t respond to your question. Buy it and use it in my other recipes that call for it.
• Gochugaru looks flaming red, but it’s actually a lot less spicy than cayenne pepper. You can put in a tad bit of cayenne pepper instead, but be mindful of the spice in the kimchi.
• You can use regular soy sauce instead of dark soy sauce. The dark version just has a richer, sweeter taste.
• For a vegetarian version, omit the beef and cook the kimchi (use a vegetarian version), water, onions, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, gochugaru, gochujang, and sugar for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then add the diced tofu.