Recipe Ingredients
Japchae - Stir-fried Glass Noodles
350g sweet potato noodles
2 eggs
200g tofu, cubed
300g mixed mushrooms eg. oyster, enoki
4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
2 carrots, julienned
3 green onion, sliced
200g baby spinach
Sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons gochugaru (optional)
2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
Japchae are stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables. Japchae translates to “mixture of vegetables”. The glass noodles are made from sweet potato starch and the dish is normally served with vegetables and meat and is seasoned with soy sauce and sesame.
The original recipe from the 17th Century Joseon Dynasty did not include noodles. It was invented by a subject of King Gwangaegun for a royal celebration. The king enjoyed it so much that he promoted the servant. After the occupation of the Mongols, noodles and beef had been added to the Korean diet. Sweet potatoes were introduced from Japan in the 1760’s and became an important famine relief food. As a result noodles were also made from sweet potatoes, and have been included in the japchae dish ever since.
Equipment you need
Wok
Stirring utensils
4 large serving bowls
Recipe adapted from "Koreatown" by Deuki Hong & Matt Rodbard (Random House, 2016)
Eastern Asian Recipes | Asian Food
