Korean Glass Noodle Stir-fry
Japchae is a signature Korean noodle dish made by stir-frying glass noodles with beef, spinach, carrots, and onions in soy sauce and sesame oil. The sweet potato starch noodles turn translucent as they cook, absorbing the seasoning to become glossy and springy. Traditionally, each ingredient is stir-fried separately before being combined, which lets every vegetable keep its own texture while the flavors merge into a cohesive whole. Japchae is a fixture at celebrations including holidays, birthdays, and feasts.
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Instructions
- 1
Soak 250g sweet potato noodles in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Prepare spinach, carrot, onion, shiitake, and 150g beef strips.
- 2
Season beef for 10 minutes with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp garlic, and a little sesame oil.
- 3
Boil noodles for 6–7 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain well, and cut once with scissors for easier eating.
- 4
Stir-fry onion, carrot, mushroom, beef, and spinach separately with a pinch of salt each.
- 5
In a large pan, toss noodles with 4 tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp sugar, and 1.5 tbsp sesame oil over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- 6
Add all cooked ingredients, toss for 1–2 minutes, and fine-tune seasoning with soy sauce or salt.
- 7
Turn off heat, add sesame seeds and pepper, and rest 5 minutes before serving.
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