Japchae
This dish is eaten mostly for special occasions like Christmas, birthdays or any other holidays. But why not during the year? I mean, come on. My daughter had that in an very authentic Korean restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. If you ever get there or live there, try the Kimchi 2. Its amazing. We got most of our inspiration from there. So, this recipe is again from "My Korean Kitchen". All credits to here. I am just trying to simplify it a bit.
This is what you need:
- 250 gr Japchae noodles or Dangmyeon (Amazon or Asian store). These are sweet Potato starch glass noodles
- 100 gr rib eye fillet, cut into strips (or, I used left over Bulgogi meat)
- 1 carrot, finely cut in strips / julienned
- 4 ounces / 110 gr. Baby spinach, blanched
- 1/2 yellow Onion, thinly sliced
- 100 gr. shiitake mushrooms (or any mushrooms) finely sliced in strips
- 1/4 red bell pepper, julienned (we left it out because my daughter doesn't like it)
- 1 Egg, divided
for the spinach seasoning:
- 1/4 TSP salt
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sesame oil
for the noodle and mushroom seasoning:
- 4 TBSP Soy Sauce
- 1 TBSP Honey
- 1 TBSP brown Sugar
- 1 TBSP Sesame Oil
- 1/8 TSP Pepper
for the meat marinade:
- 1 TBSP soy Sauce
- 1 TSP Rice wine (Mirin)
-1/2 TSP minced Garlic
- 1/4 TSP black Pepper
- 1 TSP Sesame Oil
for the finishing touch:
- 1 TBSP Sesame Oil
- 1 TBSP toasted Sesame Seeds
This is how you do it:
Start with marinading the meat first. Put a big pot of Water on the stove and turn it on high so it can start boiling. Then cut all the vegetables like mentioned. Divide the egg.
In the Mushrooms, add 1 TBSP of the noodle/mushroom seasoning and mix it well (best with your hands).
Then blanch the spinach in the hot water until welded. Rinse with cold water and squeeze out all the excessive water. Put in a separate bow. Then add the spinach seasoning and mix well (again, best with your hands).
Then start pan frying the vegetables. Use just a bit of vegetable oil each. Start with the onions. Cook them until glassy for just a few minutes. Take them out and put them in a big bowl.
Then add a bit more oil if needed and add the carrots and cook them for a few minutes until soft. Remove and add to the onions in the big bowl.
Do the same with the Bell Pepper. Cook until soft and add to the big bowl with the vegetables.
Now cook the Mushrooms with the remaining seasoning until soft. Again, add to the big bowl.
Now start with the Noodles. I used the same Water as the spinach. Cook them like stated for about 8 min.. They will be very bouncy. When done. remove from the water into a colander, rinse with cold water. Let them drip well, return to the big Water pot (which is empty now of course) and add the remaining Noodle/mushroom seasoning. Mix well.
Now cook the meat in the same pan as the vegetables until done. Remove and add to the vegetables.
Take the Noodles and pan fry them for a few min with the sauce. Then add to the rest in the big bowl.
Use the same pan and cook first the egg white as compressed as possible and turn once (so you can cut them into small strips just like the rest.) Try to not let it run to the side of the pan. I hope that makes sense. Do the same with the egg yolk after removing the egg white. Both should be like a silver Dollar sized pancake. Cut them also into strips.
Use your hands or a spatula and mix all the ingredients in the big bowl together until combined. Now add the Egg strips and the finishing touch Sesame Seeds and mix well again.
Serve immediately with some "Banchang" side dishes like pickled Reddish, Kimchi, shredded cabbage topped with Yum Yum sauce.
With a side of Rice, this dish is commonly known as Japchae-bap. You basically cook some sticky rice and put them as a bed on your plate and top it with the Japchae.
Guten Appetit
