Korean Japchae: Silky Stir-Fried Noodles
This authentic Korean japchae features chewy sweet potato starch noodles tossed with colorful vegetables and tender beef in a savory-sweet sauce. The distinctive nutty aroma from sesame oil creates a dish that's both visually stunning and deliciously satisfying, perfect served hot or cold.
Ingredients
Instructions
Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for several hours until soft and pliable. Once softened, squeeze out excess water and slice thinly.
Boil the sweet potato noodles for about 3 minutes until soft but still slightly chewy. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Cut the noodles into more manageable lengths using scissors. Toss with 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce and sesame oil to prevent sticking.
Using the same pot of hot water, blanch the spinach for just 1 minute. Rinse in cold water three times to stop cooking and preserve color.
Squeeze excess moisture from spinach, cut into 5cm pieces, and season with 1/2 tablespoon each of soy sauce and sesame oil.
Heat a pan with a few drops of olive oil and stir-fry carrot matchsticks for 30 seconds. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, stir-fry sliced onion until translucent. Remove and set aside.
Stir-fry the sliced white mushrooms until softened. Remove and set aside.
Quickly stir-fry the green onions until slightly wilted. Remove and set aside.
Stir-fry beef strips with prepared shiitake mushrooms until well-cooked. Add minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/2 tablespoon sugar for the last 30 seconds of cooking.
Combine all cooked ingredients in the large bowl with noodles. Season with remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, remaining sugar, and pepper.
Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well coated with the sauce. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 385 kcal
- Serving Size
- 1 serving
