Easy Japchae Recipe Korean Glass Noodles

JAPCHAE (STIR-FRIED STARCH NOODLES WITH BEEF AND VEGETABLES)

Steps:

• Clean all the ingredients. Cut the carrot into matchsticks. Thinly slice the onion. Run the knife through the white parts of the scallions lengthwise, if thick, and then cut into about 2-inch long pieces. Remove the stems from the mushrooms, and slice into 1/4-inch thin strips. Cut the meat into thin 2-inch long strips.
• Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until the sugar is dissolved.
• In a large non-stick pan (see note 2), bring about 5 cups of water to a boil, and cook the noodles until completely translucent and soft (6 to 8 minutes). Drain in a strainer and rinse under cold running water. Drain well. Roughly cut the noodles with a pair of kitchen shears or a knife into 6 -7 inch lengths. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mix well with 3 tablespoons of the prepared sauce.
• Fill the same pan with 2 cups of water. When water boils, blanch the spinach only until wilted. Drain quickly and shock in cold water. Squeeze out water, run a knife through the squeezed spinach a couple of times, and lightly season with salt.
• Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the skillet, and stir fry the noodles over medium to medium high heat, stirring frequently, until translucent and a bit sticky (about 4 minutes). Transfer back to the mixing bowl.
• Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the pan, and stir fry the carrot over medium high heat, sprinkling with a pinch of salt. When the carrot sticks are half way cooked, about a minute, push them to one side of the pan to make room for the onion slices. Stir-fry the onion slices until translucent, sprinkling with a pinch of salt. Stir-in the scallion and cook briefly. Do not overcook. The vegetables should be crisp. Transfer to the bowl with the noodles.
• Add the beef and mushrooms along with 2 tablespoons of the prepared sauce and cook until the meat is cooked through, 2 - 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the noodles.
• Add the spinach and the remaining sauce to the bowl with all other prepared ingredients. Toss well by hand. Adjust the seasoning to taste by adding a little more (start with 1/2 teaspoon) soy sauce and/or sugar as necessary.

EASY JAPCHAE RECIPE (KOREAN GLASS NOODLES)

Steps:

• Soak the glass noodles in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. Pre-soaking will soften the noodles and make them easier to cook.
• Slice beef (or pork) into thin match sticks (about 1/4-inch thick) against grain and season with soy sauce, sugar, and sweet rice wine; set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine all the japchae sauce ingredients, and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot, pepper, and a pinch of salt; stir-fry until soft. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms and another pinch of salt. Continue to stir-fry until soft. Add more oil if needed.
• Add spinach at the end and stir-fry until spinach is wilted. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the vegetables to a large plate to cool.
• Reheat the pan over high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the beef (or pork) and stir-fry until fully cooked. You will see the juice coming out from the meat. Transfer the meat to the large plate with the reserved vegetables, reserving the juice in the pan.
• Add the drained glass noodles to the pan with the meat juices. Pour the japchae sauce over the noodles and toss to combine. Let the noodles cook over medium heat until they are soft and the sauce liquid is mostly absorbed into the noodles, about 3-4 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low. Add the vegetables and meat back to the pan over the noodles. Add sesame oil and sesame seeds and toss all together to incorporate. Drizzle more sesame oil if you wish. Taste and season more according to your taste.

KOREAN GLASS NOODLES (JAP CHAE)

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil; stir in vermicelli pasta and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender yet firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain and return to the pot; toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Use kitchen shears to cut noodles into approximately 8-inch lengths. Set noodles aside.
• Mix soy sauce and sugar together in a bowl. Heat oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat and swirl to coat. Add carrots and onions to the hot oil and fry until just softened, about 1 minute. Add garlic, scallions, and mushrooms and fry for 30 seconds more. Add spinach, soy sauce mixture, and cooked noodles. Fry until noodles are warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with sesame seeds and remaining sesame oil.

JAP CHAE KOREAN GLASS NOODLES

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the dang myun noodles, and return to a boil. Cook the noodles uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the noodles have cooked through, but are still firm to the bite, 4 to 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain well in a colander set in the sink. Toss noodles with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Set aside. Whisk soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic, onion, carrots, and asparagus; cook and stir until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in green onions and shiitake mushrooms and continue cooking and stirring for 30 seconds. Pour in the soy sauce mixture, then add the noodles. Cook and stir until the noodles are warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with sesame seeds and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil.