Glass Noodles Stir-fried with Vegetables (Japchae)

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Japchae (잡채; 雜菜) is a sweet and savory dish of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables that is popular in Korean cuisine. Japchae is typically prepared with dangmyeon, a type of cellophane noodles made from sweet potato starch; the noodles are topped with assorted vegetables, meat, and mushrooms, and seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Once a royal dish, it is now one of the most popular traditional celebration dishes, often served on special occasions, such as weddings, birthdays (especially dol, the first birthday, and hwangap, the sixtieth), and holidays. It is also popular for feeding crowds at banquets, parties, and potlucks, due to the ease of bulk preparation and serving flexibility: japchae can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold from the refrigerator, and can be eaten freshly made or the next day.

Japchae is commonly served as a banchan (side dish), though it may also be a main dish. It is sometimes served on a bed of rice: with rice, it is known as japchae-bap (잡채밥).

Ingredients:

4 ounces beef, cut into strips

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon xylose brown sugar

2 tablespoon light soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed

1 large egg

4 ounces spinach, washed and drained

4 ounces of dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles)

2 to 3 green onions, cut crosswise

1 medium onion (1 cup), sliced thinly

4 to 5 white mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 medium carrot (¾ cup), cut into matchsticks

½ red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (optional)

ground black

pepper

salt

vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and blanch for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then take it out with a slotted spoon or strainer. Let the water keep boiling to cook the noodles.

2. Rinse the spinach in cold water to stop it from cooking. Squeeze it with your hands to remove any excess water. Cut it a few times and put it into a bowl. Mix with 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Put it into a large mixing bowl.

3. Put the noodles into the boiling water, cover and cook for 1 minute. Stir them with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick together. Cover and keep cooking for another 7 minutes until the noodles are soft and chewy.

4. Strain and cut them a few times with kitchen scissors. Put the noodles into the large bowl next to the spinach. Add 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix well by hand or a wooden spoon. This process will season the noodles and also keep the noodles from sticking to each other.

5. Heat up a skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil with the onion, the green onion, carrot, red bell pepper and a pinch of salt. Stir-fry about 2 minutes until the onion looks a little translucent. Transfer to the noodle bowl.

6. Heat up the skillet and add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Add the beef and mushroom mixture and stir fry for a few minutes until the beef is no longer pink and the mushrooms are softened and shiny. Transfer to the noodle bowl.

7. Mix all together full of ingredients and a

dd the egg garnish and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. Mix it and transfer it to a large plate and serve.

Glass Noodles stir-fried vegetables (Japchae)