Japchae, stir fry glass noodles, is a popular Korean dish made with sweet potato noodles, vegetables, and meat (or vegetarian substitute). This recipe is quick, delicious, and good for you!
A standard recipe in Korean cuisine, japchae (잡채; 雜菜) is a perfect balance of sweet and savory noodles. From a dish that was made for a Korean royal celebration, the colorful plate of Japchae is now popular nearly everywhere. It is packed with healthy ingredients, visually satisfying, and mouth-watering.
With the sweet potato noodles as its main feature, you cook the rest separately (vegetables, meat, and garnish) and delightfully combine them in the end. But if you’re in a hurry this version is just right for you. Simple and fast! You can skip the lengthy method, this shortcut will make equally good results. A delectable addition to any meal or feast and sure to become one of your favorites too!
Japchae Ingredients
Here’s a list, along with some tips, of the key ingredients in japchae.
Sweet potato glass noodles: These noodles are a key ingredient in japchae and are both nutritious and lower in calories than traditional wheat noodles. In addition, they’re an excellent source of vitamins A and C as well.
Beef: Use lean beef such as ribeye or sirloin, cut into strips. Although beef is the most common protein in japchae, you could also use pork.
Soy sauce: If you want to use Korean-style soy sauce, try Yangjo Ganjang. Alternatively, you can also use a traditional soy sauce such as Kikkoman, or Kikkoman low-sodium if you want to reduce your salt content.
Sesame oil: This oil is a popular ingredient in Korean cooking and it adds a toasty, nutty flavor. Surasang Korean Sesame Oil, popular for japchae.
Shiitake mushrooms: Shiitake mushrooms are beneficial to your immune systems and contain anti-inflammatory properties. Fresh shiitake mushrooms are best, but if they’re not available you can rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms or use (defrosted!) frozen mushrooms, such as Woodstock Organic Shiitake Mushrooms.
Jidan: The egg garnish for this dish, jidan, comes from Korean royal cuisine and involves separating the egg white from the yolk for color balance. Step 6 of the recipe will teach you how to make this perfectly!
Stir Fry Glass Noodles: Questions and Tips
Want to learn more about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most common questions.
Japchae, or stir fry glass noodles, are filled with healthy veggies and lean protein. In addition, the glass noodles are a good source of vitamins and lower in calories than wheat noodles.
You can serve Japchae either hot or cold, depending on your taste and the circumstances. It’s delicious either way!
Japchae uses sweet potato noodles, also known as glass noodles. They are a good source of vitamins A and C and are low in calories.
Japchae can be a wonderful dish for those who avoid gluten, as sweet potato noodles don’t contain wheat. Just be sure to verify that any oils or sauces you use are also gluten free.
To make this dish vegetarian, replace the beef with tofu or additional veggies. To make it vegan, eliminate the egg garnish.
Looking for some other delicious recipe ideas? Check out our recipe for Asian chicken tacos!
Japchae Stir Fry Glass Noodles
Ingredients
Beef and Marinade
- 100 grams beef long strips
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon rice wine Shaoxing
Noodles
- 250 grams sweet potato noodles
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons washed sugar light brown color
- 1.5 tablespoon sesame oil
Vegetables
- 1 medium-sized carrot julienne
- 1 red bell pepper julienne
- 4 shitake mushrooms sliced thinly with stem removed
- 1 medium-sized onion sliced thinly
- 1 stalk green onion short strips
- 100 grams fresh spinach
Garnish
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed
- 1 large egg for Jidan egg garnish fixings
Instructions
- In a small nonstick pan, sprinkle sesame seeds cook until fragrant and golden brown on both sides. About 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
- In a bowl, stir together all the beef marinade ingredients. Cut beef into thin strips, pound to flatten, add into the marinade and mix well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes or longer if refrigerated. (Slicing against the grain and Shaoxing cooking wine makes meat tender )
- Cook the glass noodles in a pot of boiling water for 6 minutes. Stop the cooking process by rinsing it in iced cold water. Strain. Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for noodles sauce, Soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Stir until all sugar dissolves. Add to the cooled glass noodles and toss.
- 4.Blanch spinach into a hot pot of salted water for a minute and cool quickly into a bowl of ice-cold water.
- Squeeze-out marinate and stir fry beef in high heat for about a minute or until it turns brown.
- In the same wok, reduced heat to medium, add carrots and cook for 1 minute, add bell pepper, scallions, and mushrooms. Careful not to overcook the vegetables, as we want to maintain their slight crunch. By this time, the glass noodles absorbed the color and flavor of its sauce. Add the flavored glass noodles and cook further for 2 minutes. Toss the rest of the ingredients and add the spinach.
- Cook the egg garnish or Jidan. Separate egg yolk and egg white, dash with salt, and mix a bit. In a small pan, with a thin layer of oil. Pour the yolk mixture and spread it over the bottom of the pan. Ideally, as thin as a crepe. Cook over medium-low heat, Flip the egg yolks with a spatula and cook for another minute. The same goes for egg white careful not to let it bubbles or turn brown. For a quick fix, simply cook a flat scrambled egg and cut it into long strips.
- Plate the Japchae garnish with egg strips and shower with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
6 comments
I love making Japchae because of its sweet taste and flavors!
This looks amazing. Easy recipes packed with nutrients are my fave.
Am a fan of Korean dramas, I’ve been so curious about Japchae, this recipe did not disappoint! Thank you so much!
This looks so tasty!
my whole family loves japchae and this recipe is easy and flavourful
What a great dinner recipe! Absolutely delicious. Thanks!!