Gauss-Telegraph: Recipe of the Month – Japchae (잡채)

Gauss-Telegraph: Recipe of the Month – Japchae (잡채)

© Gauss Friends

Ingredients

Main

  • 250g Korean sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon,당면)
  • 1 carrots, rinsed, peeled & julienned
  • 100g baby spinach, rinsed
  • 1/4 bell pepper, rinsed & julienned
  • 1/2 yellow onion – peeled, rinsed & thinly sliced
  • 100g fresh shiitake mushroom – cleaned, stems removed & thinly sliced

Spinach seasoning

  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Noodles and mushroom marinade (mixed well in a bowl)

  • 4 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp agave syrup
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Finishing touch

  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

Preparation

  1. Prepare the vegetables as instructed in the “main ingredients” section.
  2. Put the sliced mushroom into a medium bowl and add 1 Tbsp of “noodles & mushroom marinade” mixture. Mix them well. Set it aside.
  3. Blanch the spinach in rolling boiling water (5 to 10 seconds). Drain the water and quickly cool it down by running it under cold tap water. Squeeze the spinach to remove any excess water and put it into a mixing bowl.
  4. Add the “spinach seasoning” and mix them gently and evenly.
  5. Boil some water in a large pot. Once the water starts to boil (6 to 8 mins later), add the noodles and boil them for 6 to 7 mins. Drain the water. Rinse in cold water to cool down and let the water drain for 1 to 2 mins.
  6. Cut the noodles with a pair of kitchen scissors a couple of times. (Between 15 to 20 cm length). Move the noodles into a mixing bowl and pour in the rest of the “noodles & mushroom marinade” mixture. 
  7. Add some cooking oil (1 tsp) on a well heated pan and spread it well. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt over low to medium heat until it softens (1-2 mins). Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.
  8. Add more oil if necessary. Cook the carrots with a pinch of salt over medium heat until it softens (1-2 mins). Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.
  9. Cook the red pepper until it softens (1-2 mins). Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.
  10. Pour in the marinated mushroom (incl. the residue sauce from the bowl) and stir fry until it is cooked (1-2 mins). Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.
  11. Stir fry the marinated noodles until the noodles are well coated with the sauce (2-3 mins) over low to medium heat. Transfer it to the large mixing bowl.
  12. Add sesame oil and sesame seeds into the large mixing bowl and gently mix them around with your hands.

Source: My Korean Kitchen