Japchae Korean Stir Fried Noodles Recipes

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.

KOREAN STIR-FRIED NOODLES (JAP CHAE OR CHAP CHAE)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil until it shimmers.
• Add onion slices and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the spinach, carrots, scallions, napa cabbage, and mushrooms and sauté until half cooked and still a bit crunchy, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Turn the heat to low and add cooked noodles, soy sauce , sugar, and the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil.
• Sauté continuously until the mixture is well combined, about 2 minutes more.
• Adjust to taste with more salt or soy sauce, if needed.
• Garnish with the sesame seeds , if using, and serve immediately.

EASY JAPCHAE (KOREAN STIR-FRIED NOODLES AND VEGETABLES)

Steps:

• Combine your choice of meat, the soy sauce, brown (or white) sugar, and toasted sesame oil in a bowl. Mix well by hand until the sugar is well melted. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Heat a skillet and cook the marinated meat, stirring with a wooden spoon for about 4 to 5 minutes until cooked thoroughly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Whisk the eggs and salt in a bowl, then strain into another bowl so it's totally smooth. Discard the stringy bits remaining in the strainer.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and swirl it around to evenly coat the skillet. Wipe off the excess oil with a paper towel. Turn down the heat to low and add the egg mixture to the skillet. Lift and tilt the skillet around so that the egg spreads into a large circle that covers the bottom of the skillet. Let it cook for a minute until the bottom of the egg pancake is lightly cooked but not brown. Flip the egg pancake and remove from the heat. Let it cook by the heat remaining in the skillet for a few minutes.
• Transfer to a cutting board. Let the pancake cool for a few minutes, then slice it into thin strips. Cover the strips with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
• Combine the soy sauce, brown (or white) sugar, ground black pepper, and garlic in a bowl and mix well with a spoon until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and set aside.
• Drain the wood ear mushrooms and put them on your cutting board. Cut off the tough stems and discard them. Cut the caps into bite-size pieces and put them into the pot.
• Add the king oyster mushrooms, carrot, and onion to the pot. Add ¼ cup vegetable oil and ¼ cup water to the pot. Mix well everything in the pot with both hands so that all the vegetables and mushrooms are nicely coated with oil. This will not only prevent the ingredients from turning brown from the seasoning sauce, but will also keep them from burning when you cook. Spread the spinach over top in an even layer.
• Drain the noodles and cut them into 5- to 6-inch lengths with scissors. Place them on top of the spinach in the pot. Drizzle the seasoning sauce on top of the noodles.
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium-high heat.
• Open the lid and stir and gently toss all the ingredients with a wooden spoon and tongs for 1 to 2 minutes, until all the liquid has evaporated and the noodles are nicely cooked and shiny. Add the cooked meat (if using), 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. Gently toss the mixture so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Transfer to a large platter.
• Garnish with the egg paper strips (if using) and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, and serve. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To reheat, stir-fry in a skillet with a few tablespoons water or vegetable oil.

JAPCHAE (KOREAN STIR FRIED NOODLES)

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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. 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.
• 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!).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your beef strips (optional) 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.
• 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.

JAPCHAE (KOREAN STIR-FRIED SWEET POTATO NOODLES)

Steps:

• 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.
• Mix the soy sauce and sugar together in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved; set aside.
• Heat the 1 tablespoon vegetable 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.
• 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.