Japchae (Korean Stir-fried Noodles)

My sister’s family introduced me to Japchae when we went to a Korean restaurant on our recent visit to the Philippines. It was served with several other delicious dishes but this noodle side dish was my favorite. It reminded me of a popular Filipino noodle dish, pancit sotanghon (stir-fried vermicelli) except that sweet potato vermicelli noodles are used in this dish. So, when I stumbled upon this recipe, I knew right away that I had to make it at home. My family loves noodle dishes and this dish was no exception. Although the recipe instructions are long, it was very detailed and easy to follow. The sliced beef, vegetables and noodles were cooked and seasoned separately and then combined together to produce a noodle dish that is aromatic and delicious. I will definitely make this noodle dish again and again. Enjoy!

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Japchae (Korean Stir-fried Noodles)

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Liza Agbanlog

Ingredients

• ½ lb beef sirloin sliced into thin strips
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 medium onion thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot peeled and sliced into thin strips
• ½ red bell pepper sliced into strips
• 6 fresh or dried re-hydrated shitake mushrooms stems removed and thinly sliced
• 1 package (12 oz) spinach
• 1 package (400g/14.11oz) sweet potato vermicelli noodles
• Kosher salt
• Sesame oil
• Roasted sesame seeds

Beef marinade:

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ tbsp sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic grated or minced
• ½ tbsp mirin optional

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sugar or honey
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 clove garlic grated or minced
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk together ingredients for the marinade. Add beef and toss to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinade for at least 10 minutes.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add beaten eggs and cook until firmly set. Fold in half and remove from the pan; cut into long thin strips. Set aside.
3. Using the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt; stir fry until soft and translucent. Transfer onion to a large plate.
4. Repeat step 3 (omitting salt) for carrot, bell pepper and mushroom.
5. In the same pan, add the seasoned beef and stir fry until browned and all moisture has evaporated. Transfer beef to a plate.
6. Wash and blanch spinach in boiling water, drain and squeeze the excess water. Season with sesame oil and salt. Set aside.
7. Cook the noodle in boiling water for 6-10 minutes. Drain well. Drizzle noodles with sesame oil and toss to coat. This step is necessary to avoid noodles sticking together.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for the sauce. Pour over the noodles and toss to coat evenly.
9. Toss seasoned noodles, beef and vegetables together. Add half of the omelette and gently toss to combine.
10. Transfer to individual plates. Garnish top with long strips of omelette and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Recipe Notes

Recipe source: justonecook.com