Japchae is made of sweet potato starch noodles stir-fried with vegetables and meat, however this recipe is incredibly versatile and vegetarian adaptable!
Ingredients
227 gm
Starch noodles, sweet potato (dangmyeon)
171 gm
Beef, sirloin tip
(See note below for the vegan/vegetarian option)
1 tbsp
Soy sauce, tamari
(beef marinade)
1 tsp
Granulated sugar
(beef marinade)
1 tbsp
Rice vinegar
(beef marinade)
4 tbsp
Soy sauce, tamari
(Japchae sauce)
1/2 cup
Water
(Japchae sauce)
2 1/2 tbsp
Granulated sugar
(Japchae sauce)
2 tbsp
Rice vinegar
(Japchae sauce)
1 tbsp
Avocado oil
(Japchae sauce)
2 clove(s)
Garlic
(Japchae sauce)
1/2 tbsp
Black pepper
(Japchae sauce)
2 tbsp
Avocado oil
1 medium
Yellow onion
(thinly sliced)
1 medium
Carrots
(cut into thin matchsticks)
1 small pepper(s)
Red bell pepper
(thinly sliced)
1 pinch
Salt
5 mushroom(s)
Shiitake mushrooms, raw
(sliced)
1 bunch
Spinach
(wash and dried)
1 tbsp
Sesame oil
Instructions
Cook the sweet potato noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
Slice beef into thin match sticks (about 1/4-inch thick) against grain and season with beef marinade ingredients: soy sauce, sugar, and sweet rice wine; set aside.
Prepare the Japchae sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the japchae sauce ingredients, and set aside.
Heat half the avocado oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, pepper, and a pinch of salt; stir-fry until soft. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms and another pinch of salt. Continue to stir-fry until soft.
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 medium-high heat with avocado 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.
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the drained noodles to the pan. Pour the japchae sauce over the noodles and toss to combine. Let the noodles reheat for 1-2 minutes to absorb the sauce.
Add the vegetables and meat back to the pan over the noodles. Add sesame oil and toss together to incorporate. 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.
Add in tofu or another protein source when cooking vegetables
