Japchae (Korean Glass Noodle Stir Fry)

Step 1

Mix in all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and marinate the beef strips in the marinade while you prep the rest of the dish. (Alternately, you can marinate the meat in the morning)

Step 2

Combine all the ingredients for japchae sauce (soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, sesame seeds, black pepper) in a bowl and keep it aside.

Step 3

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Korean sweet potato glass noodles and boil them according to the package directions, about 6 to 10 minutes.

Step 4

Remove the noodles with a big sieve, and transfer them to a large serving bowl. (DO NOT discard the water, as you’ll cook the spinach in it). If you prefer, cut the noodles little a shorter to make them easier to mix and eat.

Step 5

Mix ¼ of the japchae sauce with the noodles and toss well. This will prevent the noodles from sticking to each other, and allow them to absorb a beautiful color.

Step 6

Add the spinach to the boiling water from the noodles. Cook for about 10-15 seconds, so as to wilt it a bit. Transfer spinach with tongs or slotted spoon from the boiling water to ice water immediately. Squeeze the out water from spinach gently. Set it aside on a platter large enough to hold all of the cooked veggies later.

Step 7

While the water is boiling, you can prep and cook your veggies. Make sure to cook each vegetable separately, starting with the light-colored ones and ending with the dark-colored ones (this is the authentic way to cook japchae, rather than stir frying all of the vegetables together).

Step 8

Heat 1-2 tsp oil in large pan and sauté sliced onion and scallions with pinch of salt until tender and remove it to the platter.

Step 9

In the same pan, sauté mushrooms, followed by carrots, then bell peppers separately, each with a pinch of salt. Plate them out separately on the platter. Cook each just 3-4 minutes, so as to retain the crunch.

Step 10

Make the omelette: Heat 2 tsp oil and add beaten eggs. Swirl the skillet so the eggs cover the whole skillet in a thin layer. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until set, then flip over and cook for another minute. Plate it out. Roll the omelette and cut it into thin strips or ribbons.

Step 11

Now finally time to cook beef. Heat 2-3 tsp oil and add the marinated beef. Sauté until cooked throughout. We cook it for about 5-6 minutes. Transfer it to the veggie platter.

Step 12

Add all the stir fried veggies, along with beef and omelette strips, on top of Japchae noodles in your serving bowl. Pour in the rest of the japchae sauce and mix until everything is well combined. Taste and adjust for soy sauce, honey and sesame oil. Garnish it with more sesame seeds. You can serve japchae hot, warm or at room temperature.