Japchae

Japchae is a sweet and savory Korean vermicelli noodle dish made with sweet potato starch. The noodles are usually cooked with an assortment of vegetables and served as a side dish or as an entree. Did you know, in both Korean and Chinese, the term japchae 잡채; 雜菜means mixed vegetables. As a linguaphile, I always find it so interesting to see commonalities between vastly different languages, especially that of Chinese words, phrases and their similar meanings in Korean and Japanese. Like when I found out the word for library in Japanese was toshokan 図書館, which sounds like the Chinese equivalent for tu su guan圖書館, and then in Korean it is also doseogwan 도서관! So cool!! Anyhow, moving on...

This is an easy recipe that everyone in my family enjoys. It's not oily or greasy, and packs lots of healthy veggies. Japchae has a sweet and savory profile, making it palatable for kids and seniors alike. My grandmother who is notoriously picky about all foods other than her own, also enjoys japchae! The sweetness not only comes from the sugar and soy sauce, but also from the natural sweetness of the carrots. Some japchae dishes include protein like sliced beef or chicken, but today's recipe is mainly vegetarian. Feel free to add protein as you like!

This dish is quick to pull together with a little prep for the veggies and boiling the sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon). You can buy this noodle at your local Asian supermarket or Korean market. 

I used dried shiitake mushrooms and re-hydrated them, saving the mushroom broth to use when cooking the japchae instead of water. I would much rather use dried shiitakes and re-hydrate them instead of using fresh shiitakes because there is a depth of flavor from the drying process that concentrates the mushroom flavor to a whole different level of umami. Like a dry-aged steak, the flavors of the aged beef are more pronounced and richer when dried than a fresh cut. Also, the mushroom broth that comes out of rehydrating is great for cooking and replacing vegetable stock in recipes. 

When I boil the noodles, I also cook the veggies at the same time, starting with the carrots. Then the garlic and mushrooms go in, and lastly the spinach. From there, the noodles are tossed in and the sauce joins the party! 

With a sprinkling of sesame seeds and fresh chopped scallions, the dish is complete and ready to eat. Enjoy as a meal by itself, or cook it as a side dish to eat with Korean bbq at home--grill up some meat, serve with fresh lettuce leaves, kimchi, potato salad..the list goes on. I am seriously missing Kbbq right now. 😞 

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 shiitake mushrooms
• 1/4 large carrot
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 1 bundle japchae sweet potato vermicelli noodles (daengmyeon)
• 1 cup shiitake mushroom broth
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp lite soy sauce
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• sesame seeds (garnish, optional)

Protein (optional)

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken thigh or 1/4 lb flank steak, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil 1 bunch of daengmyeon sweet potato vermicelli noodles in a pot according to package instructions. The noodles are done when it is soft and it is clear all through the center of the noodle. When ready, pour noodles into a strainer and set aside.
2. Heat a frying pan or wok with 2 tsp olive oil to the pan. Cook onion and  carrots until softened. Add garlic, sliced shiitake mushrooms and spinach. Add the 1/2 cup mushroom broth as you cook the vegetables. At this point when the vegetables are cooked through and you want to add beef or chicken to the dish, remove the vegetables and set aside. Add another tsp of oil to the pan and cook sliced beef or chicken until cooked through.
3. If you are not adding protein, add the noodles, the dark and lite soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. As you cook and mix the noodles with the veggies, add the the remaining mushroom broth and allow the noodles to absorb. Taste the noodles as you go—once it reaches the desired softness and flavor (add salt and pepper, sugar as needed), it is ready to serve. 
4. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds and chopped green onion and it's done!

We hope you enjoy this Korean staple dish as much as we do!