Kimchi Stew - Lose Weight with this Korean Food & Kimchi Recipe

Kimchi Stew - Lose Weight with this Korean Food & Kimchi Recipe
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Kimchi Stew

Some herald the Cabbage Soup Diet as the fat busting super diet, a diet that sweats away those stubborn pounds. In Korea there is a similar dish called Kimchi Jjigae, or Kimchi stew. Kimchi stew is a warm, spicy dish filled with bean sprouts, fermented cabbage, and thin slices of pork, broiled and stewed until all of the ingredients are tender. Unlike cabbage soup, Kimchi stew is bursting with flavor and capsaicin, an important chemical found only in spicy foods touted as the “weight loss” chemical.

The best part about Kimchi stew? The ability to vary the recipe according to your own individual taste. Don’t like beef? Replace it with tofu. Do you prefer a cooler dish? Load up on rice to simmer down the spice. Other meats can also be incorporated to give it a tastier kick, such as shrimp, octopus, or chicken. It doesn’t matter how you make it, since it will still be low in calories, helping you lose weight safely.

Let’s learn about Kimchi stew’s nutritional benefits and how to make it.

Kimchi Stew: Nutrition

Kimchi stew contains several important ingredients, including kimchi, garlic, gochujang, and red pepper flakes. All of these ingredients contain numerous vitamins and antioxidants. Kimchi, for example, contains compounds only found when it is fermented, shown to prevent several cancers, including lung and stomach cancer. Kimchi, gochujang, and red pepper flakes also contain capsaicin, a chemical shown to promote fullness, quicken the metabolism, and slow down the absorption of fats. It is essentially a fat fighting chemical that keeps Koreans slim all year long.

Kimchi and garlic also fight off colds and infections, increasing the health of the immune system. Kimchi stew contains both, keeping your diet fully protected from bacteria that could harm you.

All ingredients are extremely low in calories, helpful if you want to lose weight. Kimchi contains roughly 30 calories per serving, whereas gochujang contains around 100 calories per serving. The fat content in all ingredients is extremely low, perfect for dieters who want to lose weight without sacrificing taste.

As a whole, Kimchi stew is also low in calories. One cup of Kimchi stew is 90 calories with little to no fat. All of the fat content comes from the meat, so if you want to remove the fat, remove the meat. Kimchi stew is essentially a spicier version of cabbage soup, healthier for your waistline, your immune system, and your cardiovascular system (Kimchi also promotes blood circulation).

Kimchi stew is delicious by itself during lunch or supper. Add a little bit of white rice to thicken it; otherwise, leave it alone and eat fruit to balance out the hot flavor.

Kimchi Stew Recipe

Do you want to lose weight with Kimchi stew? Try cooking this every evening to end your day on a healthy note. Assemble the ingredients, stew for a couple of hours, and serve in an earthenware pot.

Ingredients

3/4 cup of lean pork or beef (replace with tofu if you want to decrease the fat content)

5 cups of sliced kimchi, drained

1tbs of sugar

1tbs of hot pepper flakes

1tbsp of gochujang (use less to reduce the spiciness)

1tbsp of sesame oil

Two heads of green onions, minced

3 cups of water

Preparation

In a deep pot, place the chopped kimchi, hot pepper flakes, green onions, gochujang, and sugar. Turn on the heat and fry them for a couple of minutes. Next, pour in the water so it covers all of the ingredients. Let it boil for 30 minutes. Next, add the sesame oil and meat of your choice and let it simmer for five to ten minutes, or until the meat is tender. Turn off the heat and let it cool for several minutes before serving.

To lessen the “hotness” of Kimchi stew, use one more cup of water, forgo the gochujang, and load up on the meat. Let it simmer for slightly longer to let the flavor penetrate the meat.

To reduce the calories, replace meat with tofu. Chop the tofu into small cubes and let it simmer until it is falling apart. Skip the sugar.

This post is part of the series: Dietary Benefits of Korean Food

Korean food is filling, nutritious, and probably Korea’s best kept secret. Let’s explore the hidden benefits of Korean food – both for your health and your waistline.

  1. Why Kimchi Prevents Obesity
  2. Bibimbap, Korea’s Best Diet Food
  3. Why Korean BBQ (Kalbi) is Great for Any Diet
  4. Bokkeumbap: A Look At Healthy Korean Fried Rice
  5. How to Lose Weight With Kimchi Stew
  6. Gochujang, Korea’s Healthiest Diet Condiment