Japchae is one of those meals I’ve enjoyed throughout my childhood. My mom didn’t make it often, but when she did it was always when there was something to celebrate like a birthday or some festive holiday. Whenever I smelled Japchae coming from the kitchen I knew we were about to do some celebrating.
Japchae is made with dang myeon (당면), a specific Korean noodle made with sweet potato starch. When cooked it turns translucent and the texture becomes chewy. It’s the perfect base for the marinated beef, seasoned vegetables and the sweet and savory noodle sauce.
In my opinion my mom’s Japchae was the best Japchae ever. Unfortunately she didn’t leave me her Japchae recipe (but in reality she didn’t have a written recipe for any of her dishes). It’s taken me years to get this Japchae recipe right, but I’m happy to say I finally got it perfect.
Next time you have something to celebrate why not celebrate with some Japchae!!
Japchae - Korean Glass Noodles
A popular Korean stir-fried noodle dish made with sweet potato starch noodles, called dangmyeon, a variety of vegetables and marinated meat. Traditionally served during special occasions (such as birthdays, festive holidays and even at weddings) it's now considered a meal for any day of the week.
Ingredients
- BEEF:
- 225g rib-eye, thinly sliced
- BEEF MARINADE:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon mirin
- 1 garlic, finely grated
- NOODLES:
- 340g/12oz dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- NOODLE SAUCE:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (I use Kikkoman red label soy sauce. DO NOT use low sodium soy sauce)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- VEGETABLES:
- 200g fresh spinach
- 1 carrot, julienne
- 1 white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- GARNISH:
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- OTHER:
- Approximately 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Step 1 PREPARE THE MEAT: Place thinly sliced rib-eye meat into a medium bowl. In a separate smaller bowl add all the marinade ingredients together and stir. Add this marinade to the meat and mix ensuring all the meat is covered. Let sit for 30 minutes on the counter before cooking (or you can marinate meat and leave it in the fridge overnight. Just make sure to let it sit out on the counter for about 30 minutes before cooking). When you’re ready to cook the meat, cook over high heat in a skillet until it has reached your desired tenderness. Set aside. (NOTE: If you have access to marinated bulgogi you can use that instead.)
- Step 2 PREPARE THE NOODLES:1/ Add all the noodle sauce ingredients into a small bowl. Mix well, cover and set aside until ready for use in step 7. 2/ Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add noodles and cook according to package instructions (cooking time is usually about 5-6 minutes). Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again. While noodles are still in colander add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and stir noodles around until evenly covered. Take your kitchen shears and cut into noodles 5-7 times so the noodles are a bit shorter. Set the colander aside.
- Step 3 PREPARE THE SPINACH: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add fresh spinach and leave in 1-2 minutes (or just until wilted). Drain and shock in cold water. Squeeze out excess water, loosen the spinach from each other, squeeze out excess water again. Place spinach on cutting board and with your knife cut into the spinach in about 2-inch lengths. Place spinach in a bowl, loosen the spinach (best done with a fork or chopsticks), season with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and a light sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Step 4 PREPARE THE CARROT: Cut into match sticks. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a pan. On med-high heat stir-fry with a light sprinkle of salt and black pepper until just softened (1-2 minutes). Set aside.
- Step 5 PREPARE THE ONION: Slice thinly. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a pan. On med-high heat stir-fry with a light sprinkle of salt and black pepper until just softened (1-2 minutes). Set aside.
- Step 6 PREPARE THE RED BELL PEPPER: Slice thinly. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a pan. On med-high heat stir-fry with a light sprinkle of salt and black pepper until just softened (1-2 minutes). Set aside.
- Step 7 PUT IT ALL TOGETHER NOW: In a large non-stick skillet add the noodles and stir-fry until the noodles are warmed through (about 3-4 minutes). Stir frequently. Once noodles are warmed turn heat off. Add the prepared meat and all the vegetables (spinach, carrots, onion, red bell pepper) to the noodles. Add noodle sauce. Mix everything together. Mixing by hand with kitchen gloves works best. Top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds (optional). Serve immediately or let it sit on the counter and serve later at room temperature. Both ways are delicious.
- Step 8 VEGETARIAN OPTION: If you want to skip the meat you can replace the meat with shiitake mushrooms. Marinate 100g of sliced shiitake mushrooms with 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon grated garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, dash of black pepper. Stir-fry mushrooms until just tender. Another alternative is to leave out the meat altogether. It will still taste great!