Quick & Easy Mild Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew)
Budae Jjigae (Army Stew). A hearty, savory, spicy stew packed with instant noodles, vegetables, spam, tofu simmered in a flavorful broth! A popular Korean dish you can make in 30 minutes! My version is on the milder side (not mild enough for kids as it still has some spice to it). I also share how to make this spicier if you wish.
Ingredients
- 4 servings instant ramen noodles
- 12 oz spam sliced into 1 cm thick pieces (or sub with bacon, hot dogs, or ham)
- 1 lb tofu sliced into 1 cm thick pieces (soft to firm tofu)
- 5 cups napa cabbage or regular cabbage roughly chopped
- 2.5 cups mushrooms like enoki mushrooms, king oyster or button mushrooms sliced
- 13.45 fl oz baked beans maple flavoured
- ⅓ cup kimchi
- 1 small onion sliced thinly
- 1 cup Korean rice cakes
- 4 cups stock anchovy, dashi, chicken or vegetable stock will work
- 4 slices cheese cheddar, swiss or mozzarella work
- 1 green onion finely chopped
Sauce
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon gochujang mild kind (add 1-2 tablespoon more if you prefer this spicier)
- 2 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Place prepared onion, green onion, cabbage, mushrooms, spam, tofu, maple baked beans, kimchi and rice cakes into large pan that is about 3 inches deep. Set aside.
- Next in a small bowl, whisk together your sauce ingredients until well combined. Pour the sauce and stock into the pan.
- Then place the pan over your stovetop or portable gas burner and boil over medium-high heat. Let the ingredients simmer in the stock for 10-15 minutes until the mushrooms soften, stirring occasionally. Feel free to cover with a lid if needed to speed up the process.
- Place instant ramen noodles on top of the stew with a slice of cheese on the noodles. Boil ramen for 2 minutes or until Al Dente texture. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to boil the ramen cakes one at a time and remove cooked noodles from the broth so they don't get soggy. Enjoy the hot stew with steamed rice!If you want to keep the stew bubbling for guests, reduce the heat to the lowest setting possible uncovered.
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Nutrition
Calories: 1.354kcal | Carbohydrates: 145g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 3.938mg | Potassium: 1.27mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 1.155IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 558mg | Iron: 11mg