This seafood korean army stew is my family take on budae jjigae. Korean army stew originated from South Korea.
After the Korean War, locals used extra American military provisions such as Spam and hot dogs together with Korean ingredients like kimchi and instant noodles to create this umami instant noodle stew.
True to the spirit of Korean Army Stew, this recipe uses whatever freezer staples such as prawns and oysters I have on hand. I get them whenever they go discount from Sheng Shiong. You can swap these ingredients out for traditional ingredients for Korean army stew such as Spam, hot dogs, baked beans and sliced cheese.
It comes together very quickly and perfect for weekday nights when you want a little treat.
I recommend using a wide pot such as a claypot so that you can get the best results for the dish. This is also a great party food if you have a small number of visiting guests. Best still, assembly this at the table with your guests for the wow factor.
How to make it for babies and toddlers
I am so sorry to break your heart but I won’t recommend this for babies and toddlers. You can use ingredients such as tofu and vegetable and a little homemade stock for a simple soup for younger kids.
Seafood Korean Army Stew – Variations for hungry adults and teenagers
- Swap seafood ingredients for traditional ingredients such as Spam, hot dogs, bake beans, canned corn and sliced cheese, korean rice cakes and tofu
- Add protein rich chicken thighs or other meats of your choice
Budget Tips for Seafood Korean Army Stew
Substitute seafood for cheaper ingredients mentioned above.
Busy Day Tips for Seafood Korean Army Stew
This is a perfect treat for busy days after a long stressful week. Keep pantry and freezer staples on hand to put this together quickly. Save the thawing time by skipping the frozen seafood – opt for ham, canned beans and tofu which are still decent sources of protein.
If you want a healthier version, skip the instant noodles and serve it as a seafood korean soup with rice.
Seafood Korean Army Stew
Equipment
- 1 claypot
Ingredients
- 2 packet korean instant noodles (spicy ramyun) ($2.20)
- 1 packet kimchi ($3.00)
- 1 packet silken tofu ($0.95)
- 12 frozen vannamei shrimp, thawed ($3.57)
- 12 frozen oysters, thawed ($2.36)
- 1/3 packet greens ($0.45)
- 1/2 medium carrot ($0.06)
- 1.5 l water
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Thaw the frozen seafood and drain water.
- Season the shrimp with a pinch of salt
- Peel and cut the carrots into matchstick sizes. This helps them cook faster.
- Wash and remove stem of leafy greens.
- Drain the juice from the kimchi and reserve it for the soup.
Cook the noodles
- Boil the water in claypot.
- Add seasoning of instant noodles and all the kimchi juice.
- Add 2/3 packet of kimchi.
- Allow soup to come to a boil.
- Add in the instant noodles.
- Add the carrots, tofu, shrimp, oysters and greens around the noodles neatly.
- Cover the claypot and allow everything to cook for 8 min.
- Serve the entire claypot as one.
Notes
- luncheon meat
- korean rice cakes
- corn
- cheese
- sliced chicken thigh