Since small, I have an obsession with glass noodles. There is something about it that makes me crave for it whenever I am going for Chinese or Korean cuisines. Japchae is well-known among Malaysians. It is basically a bowl of stir-fry Korean glass noodles mixed with some light soy sauce, paired with meat and vegetables.
In the olden days, it was usually eaten during festive occasions. However, now you may eat it during average days as well. Japchae is very easy to make. Therefore, it is so popular among Korean households to make this dish.
Ingredients:
(For the ingredients, you will need)
- Korean glass noodles (it is slightly different from the typical Chinese glass noodles so make sure you head to the Korean store and get the right one)
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 white onion, sliced or minced
- 2 stalks of spring onions for garnishing
- Lean beef, or beef fillets
- 7 Shiitake mushrooms, soaked and soften in hot water
- Korean spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
(For the Japchae sauce)
- 3 tbsp of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of sugar
- 2 tbsp of sesame oil
- Minced garlic
- Roasted sesame seeds
Instructions:
- Firstly, mix all the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and set aside. Make sure that the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Sliced the carrots, onions and spring onions into similar sizes.
- Cut the beef into small strips and sliced the shiitake mushrooms as well. Pour about a tablespoon of the sauce on them.
- Blanch the Korean spinach and put straight into a bowl of cold water. Squeeze out the excess water and season it with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a bowl of hot water, boil the Korean glass noodles until they are soft. Drain them and put them in a bowl of cold water.
- Mix in the rice noodles with a few tablespoons of Japchae sauce.
- In a hot skillet, stir-fry the Korean glass noodles until it is translucent and slightly starchy. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, stir-fry your vegetables until they are soft and cooked. Make sure that the onions are translucent and the vegetables are crispy. Set aside.
- Pour in more cooking oil on your skillet, mix in the meat and its sauce and lightly fry it until the meats are cooked and tender.
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add in the spinach.
- Pour in the remaining sauce and mix well with clean hands.
- Serve while hot.