How To Make Japchae (Korean Noodle Stir Fry)

Japchae (잡채), or jap chae, is a delicious Korean noodle stir fry dish! It’s ubiquitous at any major Korean event (birthdays, holidays, funerals, etc.). Plus it’s a great way to sneak some veggies in!

If you’ve read my other recipes, then you know that I’m not a fan of complicated recipes that require you to buy a ton of new ingredients. Japchae doesn’t require that, which is another reason why I love it!

I have to warn you though that it’s a little more time consuming than other recipes I’ve written about, but it’s so worth it. It’s not at all difficult. It’s just time consuming because each ingredient really should be cooked separately or the flavors get muddled. Plus they have different cooking times!

The major ingredient for japchae is the sweet potato starch noodles. They’re often referred to as glass noodles because they become translucent when cooked. They don’t have a strong taste on their own but soaks up sauce well. It acts more like a matrix to hold all the other ingredients together.

Japchae can be light or heavy. It can be a meal or a snack. And it’s a great dish to bring to a potluck or to serve at home anytime, not just holidays!

Ingredients

Sweet potato starch noodles – about 12-14 ounces

Spinach, fresh – about 12 ounces

Garlic, minced – 1 teaspoon

Salt – about 1/2 teaspoon

Sesame oil

Yellow onion, medium – 1 thinly sliced

Green onions – 2 cut into 2″ strips

Red bell pepper – 1 thinly sliced

Carrot – 1 cup julienne

Shiitake mushrooms, fresh – 3 thinly sliced (if you get dried, you’ll have to soak them for about 2-3 hours)

Soy sauce, low-sodium – 1/3 cup

Raw honey – 1 tablespoon

Ground black pepper – about 1/2 teaspoon

Sesame seeds, toasted – 2 tablespoons

 

Directions

1. Soak noodles in water for about an hour to soften. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.
2. Blanch spinach for about 10 seconds in boiling water. Remove and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Squeeze spinach out to dry as much as possible.
3. Make seasoning for spinach by adding about a 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1/4 salt, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil into a medium bowl and mix well. Add the spinach and mix well again. Then set aside.
4. Heat about 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the sliced onions. Transfer onions to a plate and set aside.
5. Then repeat this process for each vegetable (green onions, red bell pepper, carrots, and mushrooms).
6. Back to the noodles….Strain out water from noodles.
7. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. And the noodles. Boil for about 8 minutes. They’re done when they become translucent and slightly tender. Rinse with cold water (to stop the cooking process) and strain. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil to prevent noodles from sticking together.
8. Cut noodles with kitchen shears so that they’re easier to shove more into mouth handle while eating.
9. Prepare the sauce by combining the following in a small bowl; 1/3 cup of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds, about 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
10. Add the sauce to the bowl of noodles and mix well.
11. Then add vegetables to the bowl of noodles and mix well. (Don’t be afraid to get your hands in there to mix it well. It’s the Korean way! 😉)
12. Sprinkle another tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds on top and enjoy!

Notes:

Many times, japchae is made with marinated beef and egg. I like to make it without beef so that it’s more like a straight veggie side dish. And I don’t use egg because the hubby is not a fan of eggs.

But you should feel free to add either to your version of japchae. I’ve also seen variations in the types of mushroom used.

Also, I choose not to stir-fry the noodles because that way you don’t have to worry about them sticking to the pan. And who needs an unnecessary step anyway?

You can have japchae hot, cold, or at room temperature. It’s good anytime! But for storage, I suggest putting it in the refrigerator once it’s cooled down.

By the way, you can often find japchae already made at Korean grocery stores, especially around the holidays. But if that’s not an option for you, try this easy recipe!

Know any other short cuts for making japchae or awesome ingredients? Share in the comments!