How to Cook Japchae

Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients needed to make Japchae:

• 8 oz Korean sweet potato noodles
• 4 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed and finely sliced
• ½ medium yellow onion, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 oz baby spinach
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced into 1 ½’’ strips
• 1 medium scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more if necessary
• ¾ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
• 4 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 ½ tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Cooking instructions for Japchae:

• Fill a large saucepan with water and stir in a dash of salt until it dissolves.
• Bring it to a boil over high flame and drop in the noodles.
• Continue to cook the noodles in the boiling water for about 5 minutes, stirring at times to keep them separated.
• Tip them into a colander to drain them out and wash them under running cold water.
• Snip the noodles into 6-8’’ strips, using a pair of scissors and toss along with a couple of tsp sesame oil to coat well and keep them aside until necessary.
• Whisk the sugar in the soy sauce until it dissolves and set aside.
• Drizzle a lashing of oil in a large skillet and heat it over moderate flame until it shimmers.
• Throw in the onions as well as carrots, along with a dash of seasonings and sauté them for about 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions soften.
• Toss the garlic and mushrooms into the skillet and continue to stir fry for another 3 minutes, stirring at times, until the mushrooms wilt and release most of its moisture.
• Add the spinach and toss them together with the help of tongs while cooking over slightly increased heat.
• Continue to cook for a minute or until they appear a tad wilted and dump the noodles in it.
• Drizzle the sweetened soy sauce over them and toss further until well coated.
• Cook for a couple of minutes or until the noodles are heated through and turn off the heat.
• Pour in rest of the sesame oil and give it a good stir until properly coated.
• Adjust the seasonings and pile it up on serving plates.
• Top each serving with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
• Serve right away.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Last Updated on March 20, 2013 by