Japchae – Korean Glass Noodles

Plan to enjoy this with a glass of wine? Check out the wine pairing for this recipe. 

Japchae (잡채) is a wonderfully delicious and healthy meal that has a lot of steps to prepare it, but is totally worth the effort. My mom always makes this on my birthday and on other special occasions. Recipes like this are always fun to do with a partner – my mom actually came over to prepare this with me for this blog! (She’s the best.)

This dish uses dangmyeon noodles, aka glass sweet potato noodles. They are made from sweet potato starch and as far as noodles go, are a pretty healthy option that is both low calorie and lower carb than other noodles. Japchae actually means “mixed vegetables,” so you’ll be adding plenty of those along with tender beef. 

Here is what you will need. The list seems long, but in part that is because I’ve separated out some of the spice measurements for different parts of the dish. 

• 1 lb of ribeye or strip steak, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce for meat
• 1 tbsp sugar, or pureed kiwi or asian pear for meat
• 1 tsp sesame oil for meat
• ½ tsp black pepper for meat
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp of your preferred cooking oil
• 6-7 shitake mushrooms
• 2 carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 2 green onions
• 1 small onion or ½ large onion
• 1 lb fresh spinach
• 1 tsp sesame oil for spinach
• ½ tsp salt for spinach
• ½ tsp pepper for spinach
• ½ package of glass noodles
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil for noodles
• 1 tbsp soy sauce for noodles
• 1 tsp black pepper for noodles
• 1 tablespoon sugar/stevia/your preferred sweetener
• 2 tsp roasted sesame seeds

If using dry shiitake mushrooms, start by placing these into a bowl of water. These will need to soak for at least 30 minutes.

Next, slice your beef and massage with sugar or fruit puree for 1 minute. Then, add in soy sauce, sesame oil and black pepper. Smash and chop garlic and also add to the meat. Mix well and set aside.

Now it’s time to chop your vegetables. Try to cut them into thin slices and make them all the same size. After chopping, place them into separate piles.

Add 4-5 cups of water into a large pot and bring to a boil. You’re going to blanch the spinach by adding to the boiling water. It will cook down and wilt fast. Turn off the heat, stir a couple times, then pour into a strainer and rinse the spinach immediately with cold water. Squeeze out the water, then place the spinach into a small bowl and add 1 tsp sesame oil, ½ tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. 

Your shitake mushrooms are probably nice and soft now. Chop into thin slices. 

Here’s what you’ll have ready (plus your mushrooms and meat):

Using a wok or a large pan, set the heat on high. When heated, add your preferred cooking oil and then the beef. When beef starts to brown, add in the onion, green onion and shiitake mushrooms. Cook until all of the liquid has evaporated/reabsorbed into the meat and mushrooms. Then set aside in a separate bowl.

Next, cook your red and yellow peppers for about 2-3 minutes with a pinch of salt. Then set into the bowl with beef. The carrots are next, they will need to cook for 4-5 minutes with a pinch of salt. Place them in the bowl. The vegetables should still have a little crunch. 

Now, take your eggs and whip them in a small bowl like you’re going to make an omelette. Turn a frying pan on high heat. When heated, grease your pan and pour in your egg, spreading evenly across the pan. Start by pulling from the sides with your spatula to loosen the egg from the pan, and flip. When it is finished, slice your egg into thin strips. My mom always cuts off the rounded edges so that there’s a square. Then she cuts the egg into strips. You can also place your egg slices into the bowl. 

Finally, it’s time to cook your noodles. Follow the directions on the package, but it will go something like this: cook for 7 minutes in boiling water then drain and rinse with cold water. When the noodles are thoroughly drained, add in with everything else, trimming with kitchen scissors as you add it.

Now add 1/2 tsp of sesame oil, 2 tbsp of soy sauce,1 tsp of black pepper, 1 tbsp of your preferred sweetener,  and the 2 tsp roasted sesame seeds and mix thoroughly with your hands. 

After all of that work, and all of the messy dishes you’ve created, you can finally enjoy your japchae! I promise, it’s worth it! 맛있게 드세요! (Bon appetit!)

Print Recipe

Japchae - Korean Glass Noodles

Dinner – Korean

By Janice Yucel – Serves: 6

Prep Time: 1 Hour – Cooking Time: 15 Minutes – Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ribeye or strip steak, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce for meat
• 1 tbsp sugar, or pureed kiwi or asian pear for meat
• 1 tsp sesame oil for meat
• ½ tsp black pepper for meat
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp of your preferred cooking oil
• 6-7 shitake mushrooms
• 2 carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 2 green onions
• 1 small onion or ½ large onion
• 1 lb fresh spinach
• 1 tsp sesame oil for spinach
• ½ tsp salt for spinach
• ½ tsp pepper for spinach
• ½ package of glass noodles
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil for noodles
• 1 tbsp soy sauce for noodles
• 1 tsp black pepper for noodles
• 1 tablespoon sugar/stevia/your preferred sweetener

Instructions

1

If using dry shiitake mushrooms, start by placing these into a bowl of water. These will need to soak for at least 30 minutes.

2

Slice your beef and massage with sugar or fruit puree for 1 minute.

3

Add in soy sauce, sesame oil and black pepper. Smash and chop garlic and also add to the meat. Mix well and set aside.

4

Chop vegetables into thin slices and make them all the same size. After chopping, place them into separate piles.

5

Add 4-5 cups of water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Blanch the spinach by adding to the boiling water. Turn off the heat, stir a couple times, then pour into a strainer and rinse the spinach immediately with cold water.

6

Squeeze out the water, then place the spinach into a small bowl and add 1 tsp sesame oil, ½ tsp of salt.

7

Your shitake mushrooms are probably nice and soft now. Chop into thin slices.

8

Using a wok or a large pan, set the heat on high. When heated, add your preferred cooking oil and then the beef.

9

When beef starts to brown, add in the onion, green onion and shiitake mushrooms. Cook until all of the liquid has evaporated/reabsorbed into the meat and mushrooms. Then set aside.

10

Cook your red and yellow peppers for about 2-3 minutes with a pinch of salt. Then set into a large bowl, or the same pan as the beef.

11

Saute carrots for 4-5 minutes with a pinch of salt. Place them in the bowl/pan.

12

Now take your eggs and whip them in a small bowl like you’re going to make an omelette.

13

Turn a frying pan on high heat. When heated, grease your pan and pour in your egg, spreading evenly across the pan.

14

Start by pulling from the sides with your spatula to loosen the egg from the pan, and flip. When it is finished, slice your egg into thin strips.

15

Cook noodles for 7 minutes in boiling water then drain and rinse with cold water.

16

When the noodles are thoroughly drained, add in with everything else, trimming with kitchen scissors as you add it.

17

Add 1/2 tsp of sesame oil, 2 tbsp of soy sauce,1 tsp of black pepper, and 1 tbsp of your preferred sweetener, and mix thoroughly with your hands.