Authentic Japchae Recipe (Korean Stir-Fried Glass Noodles)

One of my favorite dishes to make is definitely Japchae (잡채). Japchae is basically Korean stir-fried noodles typically made with mixed vegetables, meat and sweet potato glass noodles. My family absolutely loves it, but then again, most Korean families do! It’s something that’s always included in holiday feasts like Lunar New Year and Chuseok. And with Chuseok right around the corner, I thought I’d share my recipe with you.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… for the most part, Korean food is actually really easy to make. The only caveat being that it’s usually pretty time consuming and japchae is no exception. Like with most Korean dishes, measurements are subjective. It’s really hard to get recipes from relatives because they eyeball everything. So through a lot of trial and error, I’ve finally fine-tuned my own recipe.

Main Ingredients

• 400g sweet potato glass noodles (당면)
• 225g rib eye fillet, thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 carrot, fine julienne
• 12 oz spinach (1 large bunch), rinsed
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• Virgin olive oil
• Salt
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Beef Marinade

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tbsp rice wine (mirin)
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Sauce

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place the beef strips into a medium bowl, add the “beef marinade” and gently mix the sauce into the meat. Then set it aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 tsp of oil. Cook the beaten eggs in a thin layer until just set (2-3 min). Flip over and cook for 1 min. Move omelet to a plate and let cool.
3. In the same skillet, season the sliced onion with a pinch of salt & sauté until it softens (4-5 min). Set aside.
4. Cook the carrots with a pinch of salt over medium heat until it softens (2-3 mins). Set aside.
5. Wipe off the excess oil from the pan, add the mushrooms and sauté (2-3 mins). Set aside.
6. Add 1 tsp oil to the pan and sauté marinated beef until it is cooked all the way through and all moisture has evaporated (2-5 mins). Set aside.
7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Blanch the spinach (5~10 seconds). Drain and shock in icy cold water. Squeeze the spinach gently to remove any excess water and set aside.
8. In the same water, cook the glass noodles (6~10 mins). Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
9. Whisk together the ingredients for the “sauce” in a separate bowl.
10. Pour 2/3 of the sauce into the noodles and gently mix by hand until the noodles absorb all of the sauce.
11. Slice the cooled egg omelet into thin ribbons and set aside.
12. Chop the spinach into thirds and set aside.
13. Add the vegetables, beef and remaining sauce to the glass noodles. Gently toss and combine everything with your hand.
14. Garnish with additional sesame seeds.
15. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container and refrigerate.

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated for up to a week. To reheat, you can simply microwave it, but I personally recommend stir frying it in a pan with a bit of sesame oil. It will taste almost like it was just freshly made. Chef’s kiss!