Japchae

Japchae (jabchae, chapchae) is a Korean dish made from sweet potato noodles (called dangmyeon, 당면), stir fried in sesame oil with various vegetables (typically thinly sliced carrots, onion, spinach, and mushrooms), sometimes served with beef, and flavoured with soy sauce, and sweetened with sugar. It is usually served garnished with sesame seeds and slivers of chili. It may be served either hot or cold.

This dish is served at Korean parties and special occasions, with seasonal vegetables added.

Japchae is most commonly served as a side dish, though it may be a main dish. It is often served on a bed of rice; together with rice it is known as japchae-bap (잡채밥), bap (밥) meaning "rice."

Japchae (Korean Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Noodles) Vegetarian

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

This classic Korean noodle dish combines

translucent sweet potato noodles with lots of stir-fried vegetables and a sweet-savory sauce. To make it, sauté mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic, and spinach, then throw in the cooked noodles with some soy sauce mixed with brown sugar. Once it’s all evenly heated, top with scallions and toasted sesame seeds and serve with a Korean barbecue meal, or take it to work for a light vegetarian lunch.

What to buy: Korean sweet potato noodles, also known as starch noodles or Korean vermicelli, are made from sweet potato starch and water. When cooked, these dried gray noodles turn clear. Do not confuse them with Korean “cold noodles,” which are made from buckwheat. Korean sweet potato noodles can be found in Asian or Korean markets.

Game plan: If fresh shiitake mushrooms are not available, substitute dried. Cover 1 ounce of dried whole shiitake mushrooms with hot tap water and let sit until softened, at least 4 hours or overnight. Trim off the tough stems and slice the caps thinly. They need more time to cook than fresh mushrooms, so cook with the onions and carrots and then proceed with the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces dried Korean sweet potato noodles
• 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1-1/2-inch matchsticks
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 ounces baby spinach
• 1 medium scallion, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles, stir to separate them, and boil until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Using scissors, cut the noodles into 6- to 8-inch lengths. With the noodles still in the colander, drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and toss to coat; set aside.

2. Mix the soy sauce and sugar together in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved; set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the carrots, onion, measured salt, and measured pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes.

4. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the spinach and, using tongs, toss to combine. Let cook until slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Add the reserved noodles and soy sauce mixture and toss until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the scallion and sesame seeds. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Japchae (stir fried noodles with vegetables & beef)

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• Starch noodles (“dangmyun”)
• 150 grams of beef
• 1 bunch of spinach
• 1 medium size carrot
• 1 medium size onion
• mushrooms (5 dried shiitake and 1 package of white mushrooms)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 7-8 green onions
• soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and sesame seeds

.How to prepare your ingredients before stir frying:

1. Soak 5 dried shitake mushrooms in warm water for a few hours until they become soft. Squeeze the water out of them and slice thinly.
2. Slice a package of white mushrooms (2 cups’ worth).
3. Cut a carrot into thin matchstick-shaped pieces 5 cm long.
4. Cut 7 -8 green onions into 7 cm long pieces.
5. Slice one onion thinly.
6. Slice 150 grams of beef into thin strips.

Now let’s start!

1. Boil 2 bunches of noodles in boiling water in a big pot for about 3 minutes. When the noodles are soft, drain them and put in a large bowl.
2. Cut the noodles several times by using scissors and add 1 tbs of soy sauce and 1 tbs of sesame oil. Mix it up and set aside.
   *tip: Take one sample and taste it to see whether or not it’s cooked properly. If it feels soft, it’s finished.
3. In the boiling water, add a bunch of spinach and stir it gently for 1 minute. Then take it out and rinse it in cold water 3 times. Remove any grit or dead leaves thoroughly while rinsing. Squeeze it gently to get the water out, then cut it into 5 cm pieces.
4. Add ½ tbs soy sauce and ½ tbs sesame oil and mix it and place it onto the large bowl.
   *tip: When you drain the hot water from the pot, don’t discard the hot water. Put it back into the pot so you can cook your spinach quickly.
5. On a heated pan, put a few drops of olive oil and your carrot strips and stir it with a spatula for 30 seconds. Put it into the large bowl (don’t burn it!).
6. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your sliced onion. Stir it until the onion looks translucent. Put it into the large bowl with your carrots.
7. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add the sliced white mushrooms. Stir it for a bit and then put it in the large bowl.
8. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your green onions. Stir for 1 minute and put it into the large bowl.
9. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your beef strips and your sliced shitake mushrooms. Stir it until it’s cooked well, then add 3 cloves of minced garlic, ½ tbs soy sauce and ½ tbs sugar. Stir for another 30 seconds and then put it into the large bowl.
10. Add 2 tbs of soy sauce, 3 tbs of sugar, 2 tbs of sesame oil, and 1 ts of ground pepper to the large bowl. Mix all ingredients, then sprinkle 1 tbs of toasted sesame seeds on the top.
11. Serve with rice and Kimchi, or as a side dish.

Enjoy. !!