Japchae - Korean Glass Noodles
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5
14 reviews
Excellent
Japchae - Korean Glass Noodles
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Japchae is a Korean dish featuring glass noodles tossed with sautéed beef, vegetables like spinach, carrots, onions, shiitake, and optionally wood ear mushrooms. The noodles are cooked until soft, then coated in a sweet-savory seasoning of soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. The beef is marinated separately for flavor. The dish offers a mix of textures with chewy noodles and tender vegetables, served warm or at room temperature as a side or main.
Description
Japchae is prepared by marinating thinly sliced beef in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, rice wine, and garlic before stir-frying. Glass noodles made from sweet potato starch are boiled until translucent and tender, then drained and seasoned with a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Spinach is quickly blanched to retain a slight chew and seasoned separately. The shiitake and optional wood ear mushrooms are soaked if dried, then cooked until soft.
The components are combined, balancing sweet and savory flavors with the rich aroma of sesame oil. The contrast between soft glass noodles and the slightly crisp vegetables creates an enjoyable texture. Japchae can be served warm or at room temperature, traditionally as a side dish but can also be a main meal portion.
For best results, taste and adjust seasoning after mixing as the flavor can mellow with time. Japchae stores well in the refrigerator for a few days and can be reheated gently in a pan. Variations abound, including substituting pork or imitation crab for beef, or omitting meat for a vegan option. Gluten-free soy sauce can be used to keep the dish gluten-free.
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Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil
- 1/2 carrot , julienned (approx 1 C)
- 1/2 onion , sliced thin
- 1 spinach bunch
- 8 oz glass noodles 당면 Dangmyeon) 8 oz = approx. 1/2 of 450g/15.8 oz big bag, Korean or cellophane noodles
- 1/4 cup dried wood ear mushroom (목이버섯 mokibeoseot) OPTIONAL
- 3 shiitake mushrooms dried
Beef marinade
- 5 oz beef cut into thin strips, stew meat
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp rice cooking wine
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder (or 1/4 tsp fresh chopped garlic)
Seasoning for the Dangmyeon (Glass Noodles) - 8 oz (1/2 large bag) = 4 cup cooked
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1.5 Tbsp sesame oil
Finishing seasoning
- 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce Jin Ganjang
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
BEEF
- Cut beef into thin strips, against the grain.
- Make beef marinade in a large bowl. Add the beef, mix and let it sit for a few minutes.
Glass Noodles
- Boil 8-10 C of water in a pot and cook the dangmyeon according to package instructions(e.g.6 min) or until the noodles become clear and is soft all the way to the center of the noodle.
- Drain cooked noodles. While noodles are still warm, season with soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Cut the noodles with scissors a few times.
Spinach
- Boil salted water (6 C water + 1 tsp salt). Quickly blanch spinach in boiling salted water. Do not cook the spinach more than 40 seconds. Spinach should be still a bit chewy and not too mushy.
- Shock cooked spinach in cold or ice water, drain and squeeze gently to remove excess water.
- Season the blanched spinach with some salt (1/2 tsp) and sesame oil (1 tsp). Set aside.
Shitake and Wood Ear Mushrooms (Mogi Beoseot 목이버섯)
- If using dried shitake and/or wood ear mushrooms: soak them in some warm water for 10-20 min or so until they are fully hydrated.
- Clean the fresh or rehydrated mushrooms by rubbing each mushroom under cold running water.
- Cut shitake mushrooms into thin strips. Cut wood ear mushrooms into wide strips. Set aside.
Carrots and Onions
- Julienne carrots and onions and set aside.
Saute Ingredients
- Saute each of the ingredients separately and let them cool. Saute ingredients one by one in the following order: onions -> carrots -> mushrooms -> beef. Just wipe off any excess oil and crumbs with a paper towel after cooking each ingredient and you should be good to go!
- - Add 1 T oil in frying pan on medium heat. Add onions and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Saute until onions become transparent but not brown. Remove
- - Add 1 T oil in same pan. Add carrots and a pinch of salt. Saute carrots until they are soft and tender. remove.
- - Add 1 T oil. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Saute for 3 mins or so and the mushrooms should be done.
- - Add 1/2 T oil in frying pan on medium-high heat. Saute the beef until they are fully cooked. If there are any extra juices in the pan, cook a little more until it's evaporated.
- Transfer each of the onions, carrots, mushrooms and beef to a plate and let them cool.
Mix Ingredients
- Add all the cooked vegetables and beef to the noodles and mix them altogether. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds. Adjust the seasoning with more soy sauce and sugar as needed.
- Unless you like things really bland, it will taste much better if you add more soy sauce, (1~2 Tbsp), sugar (1~2 tsp) and sesame oil (1 Tbsp) as the final finishing touch. Amount is based on 200g dangmyeon.
Notes
- Japchae is typically served in small portions as a side, so 10 servings are small servings; adjust for main portions accordingly.
- Season to taste after mixing as flavors may mellow—add more sugar, soy sauce, or sesame oil if needed.
- Best served at room temperature but can be served warm; refrigerate leftovers promptly to avoid spoilage.
- Reheat gently in a non-stick pan over medium-low and stir often to prevent sticking.
- Wood ear mushrooms add crunchy texture but are optional; soak dried mushrooms before use.
- Gluten-free soy sauce like tamari can be used for gluten-free Japchae.
- Variations include replacing beef with pork or imitation crab and adding garnishes like egg Jidan (thin egg crepe strips).
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
181kcal
(9%)
Carbohydrates
23g
(8%)
Protein
3g
(6%)
Fat
8g
(12%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
9mg
(3%)
Sodium
392mg
(16%)
Potassium
73mg
(2%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
520IU
(10%)
Vitamin C
0.6mg
(1%)
Calcium
31mg
(3%)
Iron
0.7mg
(4%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 10Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 181 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 181kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 23g | 8% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 9mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 392mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 73mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 520IU | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 0.6mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 31mg | 3% |
| Iron | 0.7mg | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
14 reviews
Excellent
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