When kimchi gets very sour and overripe, it's time to turn it into Kimchi Jjigae! Kimchi Jjigae is a rich spicy stew that is perfect for the fall and winter seasons. It is the ultimate Korean comfort food!

This recipe is the Instant Pot version. The advantage of using the Instant Pot for Kimchi Jjigae is that it will make your stew taste like its been on the stove all day even though its been cooking for less than an hour! Be forewarned: this will make your silicone seal smell like kimchi!

If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can check out my stove top version here.

Quick Notes:

⏲ <1 hr

🇰🇷 Some ingredients may need to be bought at a Korean grocery

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Serves 4-6 people

👍🏻 Very easy and great for beginners!

What you will need:

3 cups chopped sour kimchi - you can use more if you wish!

1/2 lb to 1 lb of pork belly cut into 1.5 inch sized pieces (or pork shoulder cut into small pieces)

1 medium onion - sliced

Small amount of cooking oil

1/4 cup of kimchi juice

2 tablespoons of red pepper paste

1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes (optional if you prefer your stew spicier)

1 tablespoon of sugar

4 cups of water

1 package of firm tofu

3 green onions chopped (for garnish)

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

Broth packet:

6 whole garlic cloves

4 small square (about 2 inches in length) sheets of dried kelp

6-8 dried anchovies

Instructions:

Prepare the ingredients:

Slice your onions, green onions, and your Pork Belly (or pork shoulder). Slice the tofu. Prepare the broth packet by using either a disposable tea packet (as shown below), or a tea seeper. Place the garlic, dried kelp, and dried anchovies in the packet and set aside.

And now the rest:

Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot. When the display reads HOT, add your cooking oil. Brown the pork for 2-3 minutes. Add your kimchi and onions. Continue to heat everything up for several minutes. Add 4 cups of water and 1/4 cup kimchi juice (optional, add it if you have enough). Ahjumma tip: use hot water, this will make the Instant Pot come to pressure faster! Then add the sugar, red pepper flakes, and red pepper paste. Close the Instant Pot. Press cancel, then MEAT/STEW, set the timer for 20 minutes. Switch the valve to SEALING.

When the timer has finished, switch the pressure valve to VENTING. After the float valve drops, open the Instant Pot. Add the Broth packet, and the tofu. Use a spoon to press everything down into the broth. Close the Instant Pot. Press MEAT/STEW and set the timer for 3 minutes. Set the pressure valve to SEALING. Once the timer finishes, switch the pressure valve to VENTING. After the float valve drops, open the Instant Pot. Remove the broth packet and discard. Add sesame oil. When you are ready to serve, add the green onions on top. Enjoy this dish with rice!

And when you're done, be sure to post some pictures and tag them with #ahjummarecipes. I'd love to see your results!