NEW RECIPE : BUDAE JIGAE

Hye everyone! I'm back with our new recipe, fresh out from the kitchen which is, Budae Jjigae or Army Stew. This is a Korean fusion stew that incorporates American style processed food such as chicken ham, sausages, canned baked beans and sliced cheese.

So why it is called Army Stew? This is because soon after the Korean war (in the early 1950’s), food was extremely scarce in Korea, so those surplus processed foods from the US military bases were a great supplement for Koreans. Among the US military base areas in Korea, Uijeongbu, an hour north of Seoul, is most famous for this stew.

This is a very simple dishes! The best part about making this delicious stew is that the preparation is really easy – mostly involving cutting and slicing the ingredients. You can omit/substitute the main ingredients per your preference too.

Our recipe is a serving for 4 persons, but trust me, this is so addictive that it might not even be enough for 4 persons :p

MAIN

• 4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock

• 200g (7 ounces) chicken ham, thinly sliced

• 4 cocktail beef sausage (150g, 5.3 ounces), thinly & diagonally sliced

• 250g (9 ounces) tofu, sliced (about 1.5cm, 1/2 inch thickness)

• 200g (7 ounces) enoki mushrooms, base stem removed & stems separated

• 200g (7 ounces) king oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced length ways

• 100g (3.5 ounces) shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup ripened bite sized Kimchi

• 110g (3.9 ounces) instant ramen noodles

• 50g (1.8 ounces) Korean rice cakes for soup, soaked in cold water for 15 mins if it was frozen

• 30g (1 ounces) green onion, thinly & diagonally sliced

• 1 or 2 slices of cheese

SAUCE (MIX THESE IN A SMALL BOWL)

• 2 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (Gochugaru)

• 2 Tbsp vinegar

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

• 1/2 Tbsp sugar

• 1/2 Tbsp Korean chili paste (Gochujang)

• A few sprinkles of ground black pepper

*1 Tbsp = 15ml, 1 Cup = 250ml

HOW TO MAKE BUDAE JJIGAE

1.Assemble the main ingredients (except for instant ramen noodles, rice cakes, green onion and cheese) in a shallow pot. Add the sauce in the middle. Pour the stock in the corner of the pot. Close the lid and boil it on medium high heat until the stock starts to boil (about 8 mins).

2. Add the remaining ingredients – instant ramen noodles, rice cakes, green onion and cheese on top of the pot and boil uncovered until the noodles are cooked (about 2 to 3 mins). Reduce the heat to low (if you’re cooking on a portable burner and sharing the food at the dinning table).

3. Start dishing out soup, protein and vegetables onto your own soup bowl. Serve with steamed rice (& with other Korean side dishes).

Extra tips- if you arrange the ingredients orderly, I can confirm that you cant even wait for the ramen noodle to get cooked! THIS IS SO DELICIOUS I'M THINKING OF MAKING ONE AFTER I'M DONE WRITING THIS!

You might be wondering, where can you find the authentic Korean ingredients such Kimchi, Gochugaru or Gochujang? Of course from our store! Do shop around before you go. I'm telling you, you'll regret not trying this at home! Good luck, and don't forget to post the picture with hashtag #samyangbbangrecipe

xx, Jas