Delicious and colorful japchae (잡채) is a popular Korean glass noodles dish. Japchae is great for kids as well because it has carbohydrate, vegetables and protein ingredients all in one dish. Not only this japchae noodle recipe is healthy, but also kids love the beautiful and bright colors noodle dish.
Like Korean food? Check out these Korean food recipes: homemade kimchi, vegan kimchi tofu soup, kimbap Korean sushi rolls and ginseng chicken soup.
What is Japchae (잡채) ?
Japchae (잡채) is a popular Korean cuisine of glass noodles with assorted vegetables, meat and seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil.
Most of time, japchae serves in cold (room temperature) as a side dish. However, it can serve as hot or warm.
Besides, it is great for party or pot luck gathering event to feed a lot of people.
What are the ingredients in Japchae recipe?
The main ingredients in Japchae noodle are glass noodles, vegetables, eggs and meat. Some people use Chinese dried fungus, garlic chives, zucchini or other vegetables.
Personally, I like to use onion, spinach, carrot, Chinese dried mushroom, red bell pepper, egg and beef.
The reason I chose these vegetables ingredients in japchae because they are healthy and have beautiful colors. And, It gives more colors to the dish and kids love them. It is not only tasty, but also attractive.
What is glass noodles?
Korean glass noodles also called sweet potato noodles. They are pale grey, semi-transparent, chewy and elastic noodles made from sweet potato starch.
Also, glass noodles are dried and need to be soaked in water before cooking. On the other hand, glass noodle is so plain, seasoning is required.
Cooking tips for how to make simple Korean japchae recipe:
Dried Mushrooms:
- Soak dried shiitake mushrooms few hours before cooking until it’s soft. (around 4-6 hours)
Spinach:
- Wash and soak the spinach very well because spinach has lots of sand
- Boil the spinach, drain the water and rinse under cold water
- Squeeze extra water from boiled spinach
Noodles:
- Boil noodles until it’s soft and not too chewy or too soft.
- Drain the noodles and seasoning the glass noodles in a mixing bowl.
- Remember don’t discard the sauce from cooking the beef and add the sauce to the noodles
- Always taste it and add soy sauce to your taste
- Use a scissor to cut the noodles a few times, so the noodles won’t be too long
FAQs:
What to do with leftover?
You can refrigerate japchae and use microwave to warm up them.
How long can you keep Japchae?
Japchae can keep in refrigerator for few days to a week long.
What do you eat with Japchae?
Well seasoned japchae already taste great. However, personally I like to add chili oil sauce or xo sauce when I eat japchae.
Instructions for how to make japchae (잡채) Korean glass noodles:
1. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms few hours before cooking. Until it’s soft, then slice it.
2. Slice and cut carrots, onion, red bell pepper, green onion and mushroom into strips
3. After that, slice beef into small strips, add 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Brown sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil then marinated for a few minutes before cooking.
4. Beat 2 eggs and cook like scramble eggs but make sure it’s flat like a sheet. Then, cut it into strips.
5. Wash and soak spinach to remove dirt. Then, boil a pot of water. When the water is boiling, add spinach and cook for around 2-3 mins
6. Drain water and rinse with cold water. Then, squeeze the cooked spinach to remove excess water, add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1/8 teaspoon of salt mix with the spinach and set them aside.
7. Then, add some oil into non-stick pan, turn fire to medium-high. After that, add onion and stir fried them few minutes. Sprinkle some salt and set aside.
8. Repeat step 7, then stir fried for red bell pepper, carrot, green onion (don’t over stir fried green onion) and set them aside.
9. Pour some vegetable oil into non-stick pan turn on medium to high fire. Then, add marinated beef stir fired a little bit and add mushroom.
Cover a lid for a minute and stir fried them until the beef is cooked. (Sauce will come out from the meat and mushroom. Don’t discard them, add to the noodles later.)
10. Boil a pot of water. When the water is boiling, add the glass noodles and let it cook for 5-10mins. Then, until it is soft and drain water.
11. In a mixing bowl, put the cooked glass noodles. Next, add 4 tablespoons of sesame oil and soy sauce and mix them well. (You can add more or less soy sauce to your taste). Also, use a scissor to cut the noodles a few times, so the noodles won’t be too long.
12. After that, add all the cooked vegetables, eggs and beef into the noodles.
13. Next, mix the noodles and topping with roasted sesame seed.
Enjoy this colorful and yummy Korean glass noodle japchae recipe! Looking for more Korean dinner night ideas check out these homemade kimchi, vegan kimchi tofu soup, kimbap and ginseng chicken soup recipes as well.
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Japchae Korean Stir Fried Glass Noodles
Ingredients
- 16 oz Glass noodle (sweet potato noodles) dried
- 2 Carrots
- 1/2 lb Beef steak style
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Onion
- 3 sticks Green onion
- 4 pieces Dried shiitake mushroom (medium size)
- 1 bunch Spinach
- 1 Red bell pepper (large size)
- 1 tablespoon Vegetables oil (for stir fry vegetables)
- some Salt (sprinkle for stir fried vegetables)
- 1 teaspoon Roasted sesame seeds (sprinkle on top)
Beef seasoning:
- 2 tablespoons Oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon Sesame oil
Noodles seasoning:
- 4 tablespoons Sesame oil
- 4 tablespoons Soy sauce
Spinach seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Soak dried shiitake mushrooms few hours before cooking. Until it’s soft then slice it.
- Slice and cut carrots, onion, red bell pepper, green onion and mushroom into strips
- Slice beef into small strips add 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Brown sugar and 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil and marinated for a few minutes before cooking
- Beat 2 eggs and cook like scramble eggs but make sure it’s flat like a sheet. Then cut it into strips.
- Wash and soak spinach to remove dirt. Then, boil water. Put the spinach into boiling water and cook for around 2-3 mins
- Drain water and rinse with cold water. Then, squeeze the cooked spinach to remove excess water add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1/8 teaspoon of salt mix the spinach and set aside.
- Add some oil into non-stick pan turn fire to medium-high add onion stir fried few minutes and sprinkle some salt then set aside.
- Repeat set 7 stir fried for red bell pepper, carrot, green onion (don’t over stir fried green onion) then set them aside.
- Pour some vegetable oil into non-stick pan turn on medium to high fire. Then, add marinated beef stir fired a little bit and add mushroom. Cover a lid for a minute and stir fried until the beef is cooked. (Some sauce will come out from the meat and mushroom don’t discard them, add to the noodles later.)
- Boil a pot of water, add glass noodles when the water is boiling and let it cook for 5-10mins until it is soft and drain water.
- In a mixing bowl, put the cooked glass noodles add 4 tablespoons of sesame oil and soy sauce and mix them well (You can add more or less soy sauce to your taste). Use a scissor to cut the noodles a few times, so the noodles won’t be too long.
- Add all the cooked vegetables, eggs and beef into the noodles
- Mix the noodles and topping with roasted sesame seed
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make simple Korean japchae recipe:
Dried Mushrooms:
- Soak dried shiitake mushrooms few hours before cooking until it's soft. (around 4-6 hours)
Spinach:
- Wash and soak the spinach very well because spinach has lots of sand
- Boil the spinach, drain the water and rinse under cold water
- Squeeze extra water from boiled spinach
Noodles:
- Boil noodles until it’s soft and not too chewy or too soft.
- Drain the noodles and seasoning the glass noodles in a mixing bowl.
- Remember don’t discard the sauce from cooking the beef and add the sauce to the noodles
- Always taste it and add soy sauce to your taste
- Use a scissor to cut the noodles a few times, so the noodles won't be too long