Japchae, what is it?
Japchae is a traditional Korean dish made with translucent sweet potato noodles, vegetables, and meat. Koreans often prepare it for special occasions, for example, on New Year’s Day, as it is said to bring good luck for the year ahead. It is also often served as banchan or as anju (food served with alcohol, like jokbal).
It is a staple of the Korean cuisine.
But let’s be honest, the dish is delicious and most of us aren’t Korean, so why miss out?
What to serve with Japchae?
Japchae pairs well with many side dishes, and some of the most popular are:
- Kimchi
- Spicy Korean fish cakes (Godeungeo)
- Crispy Korean chicken (Dakgangjeong)
Japchae ingredients
- Beef: use a quick-cooking cut such as ribeye or sirloin
- Dangmyeon: the famous Korean sweet potato noodles; buy them here on Amazon. They are also used in jjimdak
- Shiitake mushrooms: they can be hard to find in stores; buy them here on Amazon
Tips on how to prepare Korean beef Japchae
- If you buy dried shiitakes instead of fresh, remember to soak them in water for a few hours before cooking. If shiitakes are unavailable, oyster mushrooms are a good substitute.
- I usually use pre-cut noodles that are 30 to 40 cm long. After boiling, I trim them a little with scissors, far less than I would with traditional noodles. These pre-cut noodles are much easier to cook, so I highly recommend them. Traditional noodles can be up to 1.5 m long and are a nightmare to mix.
- To save time, read through the instructions first and carry out several tasks in parallel (for example, boil two pots of water at once: one for the spinach and one for the glass noodles).
- Japchae can be served hot or cold, and it reheats well in the microwave.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. They will keep a little longer, but the noodles will not look as nice by then.
If you are unsure which soy sauce to buy, check out my comprehensive article on dark soy sauce and light soy sauce
Japchae recipe
Servings: 4 portions
Calories: 300kcal
Ingredients
Main
- 200 g sliced beef
- 2 large shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 2-3h then sliced ()
- 125 g spinach
- 1 carrot cut into thin strips
- 250 g dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato noodles)
- 0.5 sliced onion
- 1 egg, white separated from yolk
- 2 spring onion stems, cut into 1-2 cm pieces
Beef & Mushroom Marinade
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 pinch pepper
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Noodle Seasoning
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Spinach Seasoning
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Final Seasoning
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 0.5 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Procédé
- Marinate the beef and mushrooms in a covered bowl in the fridge.
- Beat the egg yolk with a pinch of salt.
- Heat the wok over medium heat with a tablespoon of oil.
- Turn off the heat and pour in the yolk. Tilt the wok so the yolk spreads out. Cook for 1 min, flip and cook 1 min more. Slice thinly and set aside. Repeat with the white.
- Boil water and blanch the spinach for 45 seconds.
- Rinse them in cold water to stop cooking and squeeze out all the water. Cut a few times and place in a large bowl with the spinach seasoning.
- In the still-boiling water, add the noodles, cover and cook 1 min. Stir to loosen them and cook 7 min more.
- Remove them, cut a few times, add to the spinach bowl and pour in the noodle seasoning.
- With a little oil in the wok over medium-high heat, stir-fry the onion and spring onion for 2 min with a pinch of salt. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
- Reheat the wok, stir-fry the carrot for 30 seconds and add to the noodle bowl.
- Add more oil to the wok and heat on high. Stir-fry the beef and mushrooms for 2-3 minutes.
- Add to the bowl, pour in the final seasoning and toss gently.
- Serve warm or chilled and garnish with some egg on top.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal
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