Japchae (잡채), also known as Korean glass noodles, is a delicious and nutritious Korean dish that is popular around the world.
Made from sweet potato starch noodles, Japchae is often served as a side dish, but can also be enjoyed as a main course. The dish is usually made with a variety of vegetables, such as carrots, onions, spinach, and mushrooms, and can also include beef, pork, or chicken.
Japchae is seasoned with a combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and other ingredients, giving it a savory and slightly sweet flavor. It's a great dish for any occasion and easy to make at home.
In this article, I am going to show you how to make Japchae step-by-step using the magic soy sauce, and provide some tips and variations to help you make it your own.
Ingredients
Before we start cooking, let's gather all the ingredients we'll need. The ingredients for japchae can vary depending on your preferences, but I am using mainly vegetables and fish cake today.
Dangmyun (glass noodles) (handful)
Carrot 1
Onion 1
Capsicum Red 1/2, Green 1/2
Fish cake 2
Eggs 2
Mushrooms 4-5
Magic soy sauce + honey
(*if you don't know about the magic soy sauce, then please click the link to find out)
Preparation
Once you have all the ingredients, it's time to prepare them. Start by soaking the glass noodles in cold water for about 30 minutes until they soften. While waiting for the noodles, cut the vegetables (onion, carrot, capsicum, and mushrooms) into small bite-sized pieces.
I prefer cutting them into thin slices. This way, they get mixed well with noodles and it's easier to pick them together using chopsticks or a fork.
With fish cake, again, you can cut it into thin and long pieces, so it mixes well with the noodles.
Eggs: Mix them well and pour them into a pan to form a thin sheet. When it's cooked, cut the sheet into thin strips and put them aside.
Sauce: Add honey (or sugar) to magic soy sauce and mix them well.
Cooking
Now that everything is prepared, we can start cooking. In a pan, sauté the vegetables until they're slightly soft. Add magic soy sauce and stir for a few minutes. Put them aside.
Saute the fish cake strips in the same manner. Season it with the sauce. When you prepare this separately, then you can cater to vegetarians as well. You simply do not mix the fish cake at the end.
Then, put the glass noodles in a pot and bring it to boiling. When the noodles are ready, drain the water.
Now season the noodles first by adding 2-3 spoonfuls of the sauce. Then add the remaining vegetables and egg strips and mix them well. If you are serving a vegetarian, now is the time to put some aside. Then add the remaining fish cake strips and mix them well.
Serving
Finally, add a drizzle of sesame oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the japchae. Give it one last stir to make sure all the flavors are blended, and you're done!
Time to enjoy!
Japchae for dinner tonight?
Making japchae may seem intimidating, but it's actually quite simple once you get the hang of it.
With its healthy ingredients and delicious flavors, it's definitely worth trying at home.
So go ahead and give it a shot - you might just discover your new favorite Korean dish!
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