Easy Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles Stir-Fry)
Make japchae, Korean glass noodle stir-fry, the easy way with this simple recipe. Enjoy chewy sweet potato noodles, colorful veggies, and tender meat for an authentic Korean japchae taste.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (226 g) Korean glass noodles (dangmyeon)
- 6 oz (170 g) beef sirloin or pork loin. See note below for the vegan/vegetarian option
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
- a few pinches salt
- 5-6 shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1 bunch (about 6 oz, 170 g) spinach cleaned
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
For meat marinade
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sweet rice wine (mirim)
For japchae sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 2-3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sweet rice wine (mirim)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tbsp black pepper
Instructions
For the glass noodles
- Soak the glass noodles in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. Pre-soaking will soften the noodles and make them easier to cook.
For the meat seasoning
- Slice beef (or pork) into thin match sticks (about 1/4-inch thick) against grain and season with soy sauce, sugar, and sweet rice wine; set aside.
For the Japchae sauce
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the japchae sauce ingredients, and set aside.
To cook Japchae
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot, pepper, and a pinch of salt; stir-fry until soft but have a slight crunch to complement the soft noodles. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms and another pinch of salt. Continue to stir-fry until soft. Add more oil if needed.
- Add spinach at the end and stir-fry until spinach is wilted. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the vegetables to a large plate to cool.
- Reheat the pan over high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the beef (or pork) and stir-fry until fully cooked. You will see the juice coming out from the meat. Transfer the meat to the large plate with the reserved vegetables, reserving the juice in the pan.
- Add the drained glass noodles to the pan with the meat juices. Pour the japchae sauce over the noodles and toss to combine. Let the noodles cook over medium heat until they are soft and the sauce liquid is mostly absorbed into the noodles, about 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the vegetables and meat back to the pan over the noodles. Add sesame oil and sesame seeds and toss all together to incorporate. Drizzle more sesame oil if you wish. Taste and season more according to your taste.
Notes
To make this Japchae vegan or vegetarian: omit the beef (or pork) and the meat seasoning step in the recipe.
Leftover beef bulgogi meat is a great substitute for fresh beef in this recipe. You don't need to season the beef separately if using the leftover marinated bulgogi.
Nutrition
Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 865mg | Potassium: 260mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2103IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg