Japchae (stir-fried starch noodles with beef and vegetables)

Method9 steps · about 35 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Clean the vegetables. Cut the carrot (1) into matchsticks, thinly slice the onion (1/2 medium), and cut the scallions (2) into about 2-inch lengths, splitting thick white parts lengthwise. Choose either 3–4 oz fresh shiitake or 4–5 dried shiitake; soak dried mushrooms until plump if selected. Remove mushroom stems and slice the caps about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the beef or pork loin into thin 2-inch strips.

   Uses 1 carrot (about 3 ounces) · 1/2 medium onion, preferably sweet, about 4–5 oz · 2 scallions · 4 ounces lean tender beef (sirloin, chuck tender, rib eye, etc.) (or pork loin) · 3–4 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms · 4–5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until plump, instead of fresh mushrooms · water as needed to soak dried mushrooms if chosen · water as needed to clean vegetables

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Mix all sauce ingredients: 3 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp sugar or brown sugar (less if preferred), 2 Tbsp sesame oil, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds and black pepper (to taste) to taste. Stir until sugar dissolves.

   Uses 3 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce · 3 tablespoons sugar (or brown sugar) (You can use a little less if you want. ) · 2 tablespoons sesame oil · 2 teaspoons minced garlic · 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds · black pepper to taste

   
3. 3

   Step 3: In a large non-stick pan, bring about 5 cups of water to a boil, and cook the noodles until completely translucent and soft (6 to 8 minutes). Drain in a strainer and rinse under cold running water. Drain well. Roughly cut the noodles with a pair of kitchen shears or a knife into 6 -7 inch lengths. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mix well with 3 tablespoons of the prepared sauce.

   Cook noodles · 8 minUses 7 ounces Korean potato starch noodles (dangmyeon, 당면) · about 5 cups water to boil noodles · cold water as needed to rinse noodles and cool spinach · 3 Tbsp prepared sauce for noodles

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Fill the same pan with 2 cups of water. When water boils, blanch the spinach (6 ounces) only until wilted. Drain quickly and shock in cold water. Squeeze out water, run a knife through the squeezed spinach a couple of times, and lightly season with salt.

   Uses 6 ounces fresh spinach (preferably a bunch of spinach) · 2 cups water to blanch spinach · cold water as needed to rinse noodles and cool spinach · salt lightly to season spinach

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Add 1/2 Tbsp of the divided cooking oil (1/2 Tbsp) to the skillet. Stir-fry the prepared sauced noodles over medium to medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, stirring often, until translucent and a little sticky. Return to the mixing bowl.

   Stir-fry noodles until translucent and slightly sticky · 4 minUses cooked drained sauced noodles · 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the pan, and stir fry the carrot over medium high heat, sprinkling with a pinch of salt. When the carrot sticks are half way cooked, about a minute, push them to one side of the pan to make room for the onion slices. Stir-fry the onion slices until translucent, sprinkling with a pinch of salt. Stir-in the scallion and cook briefly. Do not overcook. The vegetables should be crisp. Transfer to the bowl with the noodles.

   Uses prepared carrot, onion and scallions · 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil · pinches of salt for vegetables

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Add the prepared meat and chosen mushrooms to the pan with 2 Tbsp of the prepared sauce. Cook over medium-high heat for about 2–3 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and the mushrooms are tender. Transfer to the mixing bowl.

   Cook meat and mushrooms through · 3 minUses prepared meat and chosen mushrooms · 2 Tbsp prepared sauce for meat and mushrooms

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Combine the stir-fried noodles, cooked vegetables, cooked meat and mushrooms, blanched spinach and all the remaining prepared sauce in the mixing bowl. Toss thoroughly. Taste and add extra soy sauce or sugar only if needed, starting with 1/2 tsp as the source suggests.

   Uses stir-fried noodles · cooked vegetables · cooked meat and mushrooms · blanched seasoned spinach · remaining prepared sauce · extra soy sauce as needed for final seasoning · extra sugar as needed for final seasoning

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Optional egg garnish: separate the white and yolk of the egg. Gently beat each separately until smooth. In a lightly oiled nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, cook each as a separate thin sheet until set, briefly cooking both sides without browning. Roll each sheet and slice thinly, then place the strips over the finished japchae.

   Uses finished japchae · egg for optional jidan garnish · oil as needed to lightly grease the optional egg pan