Kongbiji Jjigae - Kimchi & Okara stew
콩비지찌개
Ready under 40min DIFFICULTY Easy
When winter knocks on your door with its freezing temperatures and coat of snow, stay in and find solace in the warmth of your home and this comforting Korean stew. The creamy and nutty notes of the okara marry with the spiciness and tanginess of the kimchi. It’s a centuries old recipe that still finds its place on modern Korean tables. By the way, did you know that kong means bean in Korean?
Cool fact : when you order delicious vegan scheese from The Arty Vegan website, they come delivered to your door, with an edible ice pack! Yes, edible! You will find a bag of okara, the by-product of tofu making, in a compostable bag. Defrost the okara and use it to make this Kongbiji Jjigae!
Ingredients :
- 2 or 3 dried shiitake mushrooms (or the feet of fresh ones if on hand)
- A piece of 15x15cm kelp
- 2 cups of @theartyvegan okara
- 1 cup (250ml) water
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 200g of @koreanpantry Vegan Kimchi
- Black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon soup soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
- 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 red and 1 green chillies
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- A few enoki mushrooms
Cooking instructions :
- Put 1L of water with the shiitake and the kelp in a saucepan.
- Bring to boil then simmer for 20min.
- Take the kelp and mushrooms out and reserve the broth.
- Combine 2 cups of okara with 1 cup of water. Add extra water until you reach a really creamy texture.
- In a heavy bottom pan, add two Tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- Add the crushed garlic and sliced onions and stir fry for a couple of minutes, until the onions soften.
- Add the cut kimchi and stir fry for 5-6 minutes on high heat, until the kimchi becomes really soft. (You can cut your kimchi a bit smaller by using scissors in a bowl : no need to stain your favourite chopping board!)
- Season with black pepper and soy sauce.
- Add half of the stock and simmer for 6-8 minutes on medium heat.
- When the stew is bubbling nicely, carefully pour in the creamy okara mix and delicately incorporate in the stew, but not too much.
- Let cook for about 8min, on medium heat.
- Add a little bit more of the stock if the stew is too thick to your liking.
- Stir in half of the sliced spring onions and chillies.
- Add the enoki mushrooms on top.
- Cook for two more minutes and take off the heat.
- Serve immediately, topped with the rest of the spring onions and chillies and a generous drizzle of sesame oil.
Enjoy with freshly cooked rice or grains.
For the best Vegan scheese and artisan Tofu : www.theartyvegan.com
