Japchae (Korean Noodle & Veggie Stir Fry)
Japchae is a popular Korean dish made with sweet potato starch noodles stir-fried with various vegetables like carrots, spinach, onions, and mushrooms, along with thinly sliced meat like beef or chicken. It's seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sometimes sugar, resulting in a flavorful, savory and slightly sweet dish.
Equipment
- 1 Wok or large saute pan
Ingredients
Veggies
- 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1 large yellow onion (cut into thin 2-3 inch strips)
- 4 whole green onions (cut into 2-3 inch strips)
- 1 small eggplant (cut into rounds and sweated, then cut into thin, 2-3 inch strips
- 1 red bell pepper (seeds and stems removed and cut into thin 2-3 inch strips)
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper (seeds and stems removed and cut into thin 2-3 inch strips)
- 10 medium cremini mushrooms (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup carrots (cut into 2-3 inch matchstick strips)
- 2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds (toast in 250℉ oven for about 5 minutes)
- 7 oz. glass or rice noodles (sometimes called cellophane noodles)
- 1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil (for frying noodles and veggies)
- 4 oz. thinly sliced beef, pork or chicken
Dressing
- 5 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
Dressing
- Mix all well in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Noodles
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the noodles are translucent and tender. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain any remaining water.
- Transfer noodles to a large salad bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of the prepared dressing. Set aside. The noodles will be on the chewy side.
- Heat a little bit of oil in a skillet or wok and add the pasta. Cook the pasta over medium until translucent and sticky. Transfer back to the bowl.
Veggies (and meat if including meat)
- Add 1 tbsp. of oil to the pan and cook the carrots over medium-high heat, stirring often, for about one minute, or until the carrots are al dente. Push the carrots to the back of the pan. Add the yellow and green onion and continue to cook over medium heat onions are becoming translucent. You don’t want to overcook the veggies, so err on the underdone side.
- Continue the process with bell peppers, eggplant, mushrooms and remove each veggie from the pan or wok once cooked to al dente. Cook the spinach last, and only for about one minute to allow it to be tender, but not stringy or mushy.
- If adding beef or pork, add it to the pan with a little more oil after removing the spinach and cook to desired doneness. Remove from pan and add to the bowl with the noodles.
Assembling the Dish
- Add all of the cooked veggies to the noodles (and meat) in the bowl and toss with the remaining dressing. Serve with extra toasted sesame seeds scattered on top. This dish can be served cold, warm or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave to let the noodles become a bit chewy again.
