Japchae, the famous Korean noodle dish

Okay, I am nervous right now. This is my very first blog posting and I don't think anybody will find this or read this posting but why am I still nervous? Would you allow me to go and grab plateful of Japchae and I will continue to write this down as I am eating....?

Japchae (잡채) is perhaps the most famous Korean noodle dish. It is a must for any banquet or feast table. You can eat this dish alone or with some rice. This can be a great vegetarian dish as well if yo omit the beef. The key to making flavorful Japchae is seasoning each ingredient separately. Let me show you how you can make this beautiful dish to impress your significant others. Are you ready?

These are what you need.
For dish: Sweet potato noodles(당면, dang-myon), beef, shitaki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, spinach, carrot, onion.  
For seasoning: soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic, pepper, rice wine.

First, using paper towel gently press beef to remove some blood.

Slice beef (cross grain) into 1/4" sticks as shown above.
That's easy so far, right?

Season beef with soy sauce, sugar, garlic and rice wine.
Set aside to marinade.

Clean mushroom with brush or paper towel. slice or tear mushrooms into strips.

Blanch mushrooms in boiling water for 2 seconds and rinse them in the cold water.

Squeeze excess water out and season with soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame oil. Set aside

Now look at these beautiful Korean spinach!

You gotta clean them well first by soaking in the water to get rid of all the dirt.

Blanch the spinach in the boiling water with a little bit of salt.
Be quick on this because they only need 3 seconds to blanch.
Mine got cooked 10 second because I HAD TO TAKE A PICTURE!
I blanched the spinach right after I did mushrooms in the same water.

Squeeze out some excess water but not too much.
If you squeeze too strong you are removing too much of it's own moisture and the spinach will get tough.
Season with salt, sugar sesame oil and set aside.

Cut carrots into about 2" long, 1/8" thick sticks.
Slice onion and chop some garlic.

In non stick pan heat some oil (I use grape seed oil, olive oil is good choice, too) on medium heat and saute onion with some salt. Set aside.

Saute carrots with some salt and sugar until tender crisp. Set aside.

Cook the beef in medium heat until done. No oil is needed. :) Set aside.
Keep the juice from the meat in the pan.
You will use the juice to season the noodle later.

Now you have all the ingredients ready. Let them cool down.
Not too bad, right?
Wait a minute, we still need to cook noodles! :(

This is the dang-myun (당면), comes from sweet potato starch.
It is slightly thicker than rice vermicelli.
When cooked it gives very nice chewy texture.
Boil water and just dump the noodles.

After you dump the noodle stir them so they don't stick together.
Cook them on medium heat for 6 minutes or follow package direction.













Rinse them under the cold running water. You need to rinse these noodles to get chewer texture.
This is important step so do not skip!
Massage these noodle guys gently as you rinse.
They deserve it.
Cut the noodles if you wish.
I usually cut them by holding up the noodles with hand.
You only need to cut 2-3 times total. Do not cut too many times.

Remember the juice from the beef? It has all the good flavor, folks!
You heat up the juice again and fry the noodles in it.

Add the noodle seasonings and mix well to coat the noodles.
let them cool.
Throw all the ingredients and toss them well.
Adjust seasoning as you like.
You gotta use your hands for this job.
Those disposable gloves are handy for this.
Finally the job is done!

Well, Well, Well....

All the hard work is over now. 
Sit back and enjoy your labor of the day.

I am going to eat with style!
How about you?

Japchae
serves 4-6 as main or crowds at potluck

10 oz (300g) glass noodles (당면,dang-myun)
1/3 lb lean cut of beef, cut into 2" long & 1/4" thick sticks
1 bunch spinach, trimmed & cleaned
1 medium carrot, cut into 2" long & 1/8" thick sticks
1 small onion, thinly sliced
6 shitaki mushrooms, sliced
1/4 lb oyster mushrooms, sliced


Beef marinade :
1 T soy sauce(low sodium), 1/2 T sugar, 1T rice wine, 1t chopped garlic, 1t sesame oil, 1/4t pepper


Mushroom seasoning :
1T soy sauce, 1t sugar, 1t chopped garlic, 1t sesame oil


Spinach seasoning :
1/2t salt, 1/2t sugar, 1t sesame oil


Noodle seasoning :
3T soy sauce, 2T sugar, 2T sesame oil, 2T sesame seeds(roasted), 1t pepper

Mix beef in the marinade. Set aside.

Boil water in a pot. Blanch mushrooms first for 2 seconds. Take them out and rinse them in the cold water. Squeeze out excess water. place in a bowl.

In the same boiling water add spinach, blanch for 3 seconds. rinse in the cold water as well. squeeze out excess water and place in a bowl.

Season mushrooms and spinach each with their seasoning ingredients separately.

Saute onions and carrots separately with some salt and sugar to taste over medium heat.
Saute beef and cook until done. Reserve the juice from the meat in the pan. Set aside the meat.

Meanwhile, boil water in a pot. Add the noodles and stir them first. Cook for about 6 minutes or follow package direction. Rinse them under cold water. Drain the noodles. Cut the noodles if you desire.

Cook noodles in the pan with reserved meat juice over medium heat. Add the noodle seasoning and toss them well. Let all the ingredients to cool down to room temp.

Toss noodles with beef, spinach, mushrooms, onions, carrots with hand. Adjust seasoning for your taste. Serve in a room temperature. Enjoy.


Printable recipe