AI-generated photo.
Korean · Iconic, Seoul · South Korea
Kimchi jjigae
Also called 김치찌개
Kimchi jjigae (김치찌개), a Seoul plate from South Korea.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Kimchi jjigae is cooked in Seoul as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer sour kimchi with pork and tofu until the broth turns red and the cabbage is soft. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
73
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 49%
- Carbs 18%
- Fat 33%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 23.2 g, under the 25 g mark.
Watch · Low sodium
About 838 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
The heat is more than a gentle bowl wants.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Pork tenderloin76 kcal
- Firm tofu39 kcal
- Low-sodium chicken broth20 kcal
- Toasted sesame oil18 kcal
- Kimchi11 kcal
- Gochujang8 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 3. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 184 kcal. Two portions would be about 368 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. Fish, Gluten, Sesame, Soy
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 184 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 184 kcal | 9% |
| Protein | 23.2 g | 46% |
| Carbohydrate | 8.6 g | 3% |
| Fiber | 2.4 g | 9% |
| Total sugars | 2.4 g | 5% |
| Fat | 7 g | 9% |
| Saturated fat | 1.5 g | 8% |
| Cholesterol | 46 mg | 15% |
| Sodium | 838 mg | 36% |
| Potassium | 605 mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 144 mg | 11% |
| Iron | 3.8 mg | 21% |
| Magnesium | 51 mg | 12% |
| Zinc | 2.1 mg | 19% |
| Vitamin A | 8 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 2.3 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 0.3 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin K | 50 mcg | 42% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.8 mg | 63% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.5 mg | 36% |
| Niacin (B3) | 7.3 mg | 46% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.8 mg | 46% |
| Folate | 53 mcg | 13% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.5 mcg | 20% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Sodium is on the higher side. The swaps below pull it down.
- Fish here is a commonly eaten, lower-mercury choice when fully cooked. Follow your own pregnancy fish guidance.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Kimchi2 cups300 g
Pork tenderloin2 pieces280 g
Firm tofu0.7 block200 g
Gochugaru1 tbsp8 g
Garlic3 cloves10 g
Scallion3 stalks30 g
Low-sodium chicken broth2 cups500 ml
Toasted sesame oil2 tsp8.7 ml
Gochujang1 tbsp15 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Kimchi jjigae. Heat to a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh kimchi, pork tenderloin, firm tofu, gochugaru, garlic, scallion, low-sodium chicken broth, toasted sesame oil, gochujang, kosher salt. Kimchi jjigae is cooked in Seoul as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer sour kimchi with pork and tofu until the broth turns red and the cabbage is soft. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Kimchi jjigae is cooked in south korea. Also called 김치찌개. Skim the foam once, then stop stirring so the broth stays clear.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Kimchi jjigae, until the edges take a little color. Add the herb at the end so it stays green and fragrant.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Kimchi jjigae at a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C. Start checking at 52 minutes. Kimchi jjigae is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Simmer 52 min
- 🇰🇷 South KoreaEast Asiaicon-south-korea-kimchi-jjigae-step-4
Kimchi jjigae, step 5
Step 5 · Kimchi jjigae
5Check the center of Kimchi jjigae, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇰🇷 South KoreaEast Asiaicon-south-korea-kimchi-jjigae-step-5
Kimchi jjigae, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Kimchi jjigae for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in south korea, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Kimchi jjigae in this shot order and no other: a tight shot of the crust or surface; a grill grate just before the food lands; cheese melting only after the boil stops; liquid going in and lifting the fond. Slate words for the editor: ripple, jasper, apron, ramekin, reduce, ivory, birch, ridge, iron, caramel.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Kimchi jjigae is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Kimchi jjigae looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Kimchi jjigae turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Kimchi jjigae, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Kimchi jjigae is one of the plates people ask for by name from Seoul.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Simmer sour kimchi with pork and tofu until the broth turns red and the cabbage is soft.
Allergens in the required list: Fish, Gluten, Sesame, Soy.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.