Budae Jjigae (Army Stew) Recipe

IMAGE Jeffrey G. Tan

What more do you need than instant noodles leveled up and made extra hearty and delicious during a rainy day or chilly evenings? With this budae jjigae or more commonly known as "army stew", this Korean mishmash of common kitchen food items is easy to make. 

What is budae jjigae? 

The story behind this unique stew goes back to the aftermath of the Korean War when food was scarce and meat sourced from the military base was mixed with local ingredients. This created this fusion dish that saw instant noodles or ramyun, kimchi, tofu, and gochujang simmered with luncheon meat and hot dogs. 

It's a heartwarming soup that is affordable, easy to make, and best of all, instantly delicious, especially for those who love Korean food. 

For this recipe, it's a leveled-up version that takes those same ingredients and adds to it to make it into an even heartier meal than the original.