Japchae is a popular Korean noodle dish. These noodles are deliciously chewy and seasoned with a sweet and salty sauce mixture. There's a subtle flavor of sesame oil that brings the whole dish together.
Japchae and Korean Banchan
Are you one of those people who enjoy eating banchan appetizers more than the actual entree itself? I LOVE Korean restaurants that offer japchae banchan. Every time we go to a Korean restaurant, you can bet I’m feasting on the small plates of kimchi, cucumbers, fish cakes, and bean sprouts! Refills are a given. (; This japchae recipe is super easy to make. I recommend making extra, because the leftovers taste even more delicious!
The Type of Noodles Used
Japchae is made with dangmyeon noodles. Dangmyeon noodles are made from sweet potato starch. They fall under the "cellophane" noodle family, meaning that they're glassy and transparent when they're cooked. Another glass noodle type you may be familiar with are Bean Thread noodles. Unlike dangmyeon, bean thread noodles are made of mung bean and are typically thin as thread. They're commonly used in Chinese and Southeast Asian noodle dishes.
How to Enjoy this Japchae Recipe
Japchae noodles can be enjoyed as a vegetarian dish or cooked with yummy thin slices of beef. It is often served as a banchan appetizer, but you can also have it as a main dish! It's delicious when paired with Korean meat dishes like bulgogi beef/chicken or galbi short ribs.
Notes
Japchae keeps well as leftovers! Just pop it into the microwave and the noodles will be soft again. As I mentioned earlier, I love making extra for leftovers because the noodles taste even better the next day. This is because the noodles have more time to absorb the sweet soy sauce mixture, so each bite is more flavorful!
Japchae - Korean Glass Noodles
Ingredients
Noodles
- 8 oz dangmyeon noodles (Korean glass noodles)
- 1 bunch spinach (about 1.5 cups)
- 5 shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated if you're using the dry version)
- 2 stems green onion (cut into 2inch pieces)
- 1 medium onion (about 1 cup, thinly sliced)
- ¼ cup red bell pepper (cut into thin strips)
- 1 medium carrot (about ⅔ cups, cut into ⅛in thick matchsticks)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp neural vegetable oil (I use avocado oil)
Sauce
- ⅓ cup sugar or honey
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and stir it until the sugar/honey is dissolved. Sat this aside.
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Heat the pan and add a little bit of vegetable oil. When the pan is heated, add the eggs and tilt the pan around to create a thin layer of eggs. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, flip the egg over, and cook for an additional minute.
- Transfer the egg onto another plate. Set it aside and let it cool. Once it’s cool, slice the egg into thin ¼ inch by 2 inch strips. Add it to the large mixing bowl when you’re done.
- Heat the pan and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Throw in the onion and green onion. Cook for 5 minutes until it looks translucent. Remove from heat and transfer it to the large bowl you will be using to mix all of the japchae ingredients.
- Heat the pan and add a tablespoon of vegetable. Add the shiitake mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4 minutes. Add the carrots and bell pepper strips. Cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer everything to the mixing bowl.
- Repeat the process of heating the pan and adding a tablespoon of oil. Add the marinated beef to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the beef is thoroughly cooked through. Remove from heat and transfer it to the mixing bowl with the veggies.
- Boil a large pot of water. Add a pinch of salt. Add the spinach and cook it for about 15 seconds, or until it starts to wilt.
- Remove the spinach from the pot. (Do not drain the water from the pot because you will use the same water to boil the noodles. ) Immediately run the spinach under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and gently squeeze out the excess water from the spinach. Transfer the spinach to the same large mixing bowl with the other cooked japchae ingredients.
- Bring that same pot of water to a boil again. Add the noodles and boil for 7-8 minutes. The noodles should be soft and chewy.
- Completely drain the noodles and transfer it to the large bowl with the other veggies.
- Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, and sugar to the noodles. Gently massage the noodles with your hands until everything is evenly coated. This will help prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- The dish is now ready to eat! Garnish with additional sesame seeds on as you serve the dish. This dish is meant to be enjoyed at room temperature.
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