Japchae Recipe (Korean Glass Noodle Stir Fry)

This Japchae recipe was provided by Nezumouse

Japchae is a very popular and famous Korean dish. While the Japchae recipe is prepared year-round, it is particularly notable for its inclusion in traditional Chuseok (Korean Harvest or Autumn Festival) meals. Japchae is often partnered with songpyeon, a traditional variety of tteok (rice-cake) filled with nuts and honey and sometimes flavoured with mugwort or pumpkin. Songpyeon is particularly popular this time of year as it is said to resemble the harvest and half-moon, one of the icons of Chuseok.

Chuseok, the Korean version of the Mid-Autumn Festival, was traditionally celebrated by visiting and cleaning ancestors’ graves and performing rites in the home. More recently, the festival has become akin to an American thanksgiving – where the focus is on sharing good food and good company!

My boyfriend and I learned this recipe as part of preparing a Chuseok family-feast to share with a few good friends while enjoying a K-drama marathon (our favorite is Netflix’s Crash Landing on You). The recipe is a mélange of a couple different japchae resources (here and here) and our (and our friends’) personal preferences, so don’t be afraid to adjust to your tastes.

Japchae Recipe

Ingredients for Japchae Recipe

Carbs

Dangmyeon (sweet potato Starch noodle or glass noodle) – 250 g

Protein

Beef (Brisket or other high-quality cut) – 170 g

Eggs – 2, white/yolk separated

Veggies

Spinach – 1 bag, or about 2-3 cups

Onions – 2 small or 1 large

Scallions – 1 bunch, or about ½ cup

White Mushrooms – 250 g

Carrots – 2

Shiitake Mushroom – 125 g

Bell pepper (red) – 1

Seasoning

Garlic – 3 cloves

Sugar – 1Tsp*

Sesame Oil – ½ Tsp, plus more for finish

Soy Sauce – 1Tbsp

Neutral oil – 1-2 Tbsp for pan

*We prefer a more savory/low-carb version of the dish, but many recipes use 3 or 4x this amount of sugar, so adjust to taste.

Preparation of Japchae Recipe

• Prepare the beef and mushroom marinade by combining garlic (3 cloves, crushed), sugar (1tsp), sesame oil (½ tsp) and soy sauce (1tbsp). Wash and prep your shiitake by slicing length-wise (should look like little moustache curls!). Prepare your beef by cutting it into strips or squares, no larger than 2 or 3 inches long. Add beef and mushrooms to marinade and chill, covered while you prepare the rest of the dish. You can also leave it overnight for extra flavour!

• Traditionally, each vegetable is cooked separately and then added to a single large bowl with the finished noodles and tossed like salad to incorporate the unique flavour and texture of each element. You may be tempted to stir-fry all together, but patience is key here! Start by slicing the onions and white mushrooms and julienne your carrots (or use matchstick carrots) and bell pepper.

• Blanch the spinach for about 30 seconds in boiling water and remove it to an ice bath. Squeeze the excess moisture out of the spinach and transfer it into a mixing bowl, then begin cooking the noodles in the same water we used to blanch the spinach — they take about 7 minutes to become tender and take on a lovely flavour. Season the spinach with a bit of salt and sesame oil.
• While the noodles are cooking (according to instructions), sauté all the other vegetables one at a time. Keep an eye on the noodles, as you may need to remove and strain them during this process. When the noodles are finished, strain them (no need to reserve water) and add to the mixing bowl with the spinach. Add the sliced vegetables one-by-one into a lightly oiled pan, add a dash of salt, and once they are tender, add each into the same large mixing bowl with the spinach before wiping the pan and adding the next vegetable. 
• Remove the mushroom and beef mixture from the refrigerator and sauté in the marinade on med until the mushrooms are just tender. Then, transfer to the mixing bowl and, using salad tongs, toss meat, vegetables, and noodles until evenly incorporated.
• Finally, prepare the egg garnish by beating the egg yolks and adding to a lightly greased pan over medium heat. Immediately remove pan from the heat when you pour in the yolks and swirl in the pan to make a thin, crepe-like layer. Flip after the yolks become solid but not browned (about 1 min) and let sit about another 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate or clean cutting board and chiffonade (cut in thin slices). 
• Plate Japchae as desired, using salad tongs and top with sliced scallions and egg garnish.

Closing statement

This dish is quite involved, but its many moving pieces means that it’s easy to get a few people involved in the cooking process. I would recommend it for a girl’s night in or as an impressive make-ahead party dish (it makes a great sub for pasta salad right out of the fridge too). The color from the vegetables is stunning, and the fun noodles make this a unique dish that everyone will want to try!

If you liked this recipe, have a look at some other Asian recipes!

Vietnamese recipe: Pho Bo

Thai food: Pad Thai

Vietnamese recipe: Cha Ca

Vietnamese Cooking Class in Hoi An with Red Bridge

Paon Bali Cooking Class review: our experience in a Balinese cooking class

Warung Sunny Cooking Class review: our experience in an Indonesian cooking class in Gili Air

Balinese food series: Gado Gado recipe (vegetable peanut salad)

Balinese food series: Kare Ayam recipe (chicken in coconut curry)

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