March on a full stomach with Korean army stew

Budae jjigae, better known as Korean army stew, was created after the end of the Korean War using scrounged or smuggled surplus food from US army bases. Although South Korea has gone onto become one of the biggest economic success stories of modern times, this dish remains popular there until today, combining basic ingredients such as luncheon meat, noodles, mushrooms and vegetables with kimchi and other spicy goodness. Check out our recipe below for this Korean-American fusion classic, using ingredients available from Sing Kee Foods.

What you need

• Half a large white onion
• 3 x spring onions
• 1 x pack of enoki mushrooms
• 100 g of Chongga Mat Kimchi 
• Wang Red Pepper Powder
• Gochujang or Chung Jung One Hot Pepper Paste
• Sempio Soy Sauce
• Daesang Corn Syrup
• Garlic  
• 1 x tin of luncheon meat
• Jongga Rice Cakes (Sliced Type)
• 1 x pack of Wing On Tofu
• 1 x pack of Nongshim Shin Ramyun Noodles
• 1 x pack of Tufoco Bun Tuoi Fresh Rice Vermicelli  
• 1 x pack of Dasida Beef Flavour Soup Stock

How to cook

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 people

1. Slice the white onion, then trim the spring onions and cut them crossways into three or four pieces. Add them to a wok (a stir-fry pan or a stockpot can also be used), along with the enoki mushrooms and the kimchi.

2. Next, in a small bowl, mix 1 x teaspoon of red pepper powder, 5 x crushed garlic cloves and 1 x tablespoon each of gochujang, soy sauce and corn syrup into a paste and add to the wok.

3. Open a tin of luncheon meat, slice the contents thickly and then halve. Slice the tofu into similarly sized pieces as the luncheon meat. Add both to the wok, together with a handful of rice cakes, the shin noodles and the vermicelli.

4. Cover the contents in the wok with the broth, then cook on a medium heat until the vegetables and noodles are softened to the preferred texture and the flavours have been soaked up by the luncheon meat and tofu. Serve in individual bowls with a sprinkle of red pepper powder.

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Create your own Korean kitchen masterpiece

Full of satisfying flavours and high on nutrition, Korean cuisine is currently taking the UK by storm. So, why not create this or other Korean classic dishes at home? If so, you need to look no further than Sing Kee Foods, with more than 20 years of experience offering our customers an amazing range of food and drink from across the Far East. Visit our website today and get ready to take your culinary skills to the next level.