Gochujang Jjigae Stew

Gochujang jjigae is the kind of Korean stew that warms you from the inside out. It builds bold, layered heat from gochugaru and gochujang, with tender pork belly and soft potatoes soaking up every bit of that spicy, savoury broth. This is home cooking at its most comforting — one pot, big flavour, no fuss.

Ingredients

• Oil
• Green onions (1/2 stalk)
• Minced garlic (1 TB)
• Pork belly (200g)
• Gochugaru (4 TB)
• Gochujang (2 TB)
• Water (600ml)
• Anchovy sauce (2 TB)
• MSG (1 tsp)
• Soy sauce (1 TB)
• Oyster sauce (1 TB)
• Pepper
• Potatoes (2)
• Onion (2)
• Zucchini (1/4)
• Salt to taste

Singapore Swap

• Pork belly: Available at any FairPrice, Sheng Siong, or neighbourhood wet market. Ask for sliced pork belly at the butcher counter.
• Gochugaru and gochujang: Available at Korean grocery stores, Don Don Donki, and FairPrice Finest (CJ and Sempio brands).
• Anchovy sauce (myeolchi aekjeot): Look for bottled fish sauce at Korean grocery stores or on Shopee.
• Zucchini: Regular zucchini from any supermarket works if Korean zucchini (aehobak) is unavailable.

Instructions

1. Add oil to a pot and heat it over medium flame.
2. Add the green onions to the oil and let them infuse, releasing their aroma into the oil.
3. Add the minced garlic and pork belly. Cook on medium heat until the pork is golden and slightly caramelised.
4. Add the gochugaru and stir it into the pork fat, cooking it like you are making a chili oil until fragrant.
5. Add the gochujang and toast it briefly with the gochugaru, letting the paste bloom in the heat.
6. Pour in 600ml of water and stir everything together until the paste dissolves into a rich, red broth.
7. Season with anchovy sauce, MSG, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and pepper. Stir to combine.
8. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes. Let them simmer until they start to soften.
9. Once the potatoes are soft, add the onion and zucchini.
10. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Simmer a few more minutes until everything is tender, then serve steaming hot with rice.

Tips

• Cooking the gochugaru in oil first (like making chili oil) is the key to building deep colour and complex heat in the broth.
• Add the potatoes early so they have time to soften and slightly thicken the stew.
• This stew tastes even better the next day after the flavours meld together overnight in the fridge.