Japchae
Local name : 잡채
Translucent sweet potato noodles tossed with spinach, carrot and mushrooms, glossy with sesame oil and soy.
Photo : Ibrahim Husain Meraj · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Method
- Boil the noodles for 6 to 7 minutes, drain and rinse in warm water, then snip them roughly with scissors.
- Dress them immediately with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp sesame oil so they soak everything up.
- Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds, refresh, squeeze dry and season with half a tablespoon of sesame oil and a pinch of salt.
- Stir-fry the onion, carrot, pepper and then the shiitake with the garlic separately in the neutral oil over high heat, 2 to 3 minutes each, salting lightly.
- Gather everything in a large bowl with the noodles and spinach.
- Add the remaining soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil, then toss thoroughly with your hands so every strand is coated.
- Scatter with sesame seeds and serve warm or at room temperature.
The Korean method stir-fries each vegetable separately: slower, but every one keeps its own colour and bite. Japchae is a party dish, and it is even better made an hour ahead.
