Japchae – Sweet Potato Noodles with Vegetables Recipe
Japchae is a colorful dish made with translucent sweet potato noodles and vegetables, often served at Korean parties and holidays. The noodles are springy and slightly slippery, and the whole dish has a sweet-salty flavor thanks to soy sauce and sesame. It can be eaten warm or cold, a bit like a noodle salad.
Japchae combines chewy sweet potato noodles with a variety of colorful vegetables and a balanced sweet-salty sesame soy sauce, making it both festive and comforting. It can be served warm or at room temperature, so it’s perfect for gatherings and buffets.
Chef's tips
Prepare and cook each ingredient separately to keep the colors vibrant and the textures distinct, then combine everything at the end with the sauce. Don’t overcook the noodles or vegetables; their springy and slightly crunchy texture is key to a good japchae.
How to serve
Serve japchae as part of a Korean-style spread alongside dishes like kimchi, grilled meat, or simple vegetable sides. It also works well as a main for a light lunch, topped with extra toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil.
Ingredients
- sweet potato noodles dangmyeon Korean glass noodles - 200 g
- spinach fresh - 100 g
- carrot cut into thin matchsticks - 1 piece
- red bell pepper cut into thin strips - 0.5 piece
- onion thinly sliced - 1 piece
- button mushrooms thinly sliced - 150 g
- beef thinly sliced, e.g. sirloin; can be omitted for a veggie version - 150 g
- soy sauce - 5 tablespoon
- sugar - 2 tablespoon
- sesame oil - 2 tablespoon
- vegetable oil for frying - 2 tablespoon
- garlic finely chopped - 2 clove
- sesame seeds toasted - 1 tablespoon
- black pepper - 0.25 teaspoon
Preparation
- Cook the sweet potato noodles according to the package instructions (usually 6–8 minutes in boiling water), until soft but springy. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Place the spinach in a pot of boiling water for 30–40 seconds until wilted, drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out the excess water and cut into shorter pieces.
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, chopped garlic, and pepper until the sugar dissolves.
- Mix the beef with 2 tablespoons of the prepared sauce and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pan or wok. Stir-fry the beef over high heat for 3–4 minutes, until it is no longer pink. Transfer to a large bowl.
- In the same pan, add a little more oil if needed, then add the onion and carrot. Stir-fry over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, until softened but still slightly crunchy. Transfer to the bowl with the beef.
- Next, stir-fry the mushrooms for 3–4 minutes, until they release their moisture and start to brown lightly, then transfer to the bowl. Finally, stir-fry the bell pepper for 2–3 minutes, just until slightly softened.
- Add the cooked noodles, spinach, and all the stir-fried ingredients to the large bowl. Pour in the remaining sauce and mix thoroughly with your hands or tongs so the noodles are well coated.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with extra soy sauce or sugar if needed. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm or at room temperature.
Storage
Japchae dobrze znosi przechowywanie, ale makaron może lekko twardnieć; przed podaniem można skropić odrobiną oleju sezamowego i delikatnie podgrzać na patelni.
