Japchae

If, like me, you were lucky enough to have had hospitable Korean neighbors you will know Japchae, which is an amazing stir fry dish made with glass noodles and an assortment of vegetables. Which is what the name of the dish also is: As I was told back then, Japchae just means mixed vegetables in Korean.

I like Japchae so much that it is one of the few things that I actually order online. Normally, I never do that, I go and get whatever it is that I want myself. But, Korean Restaurants are few and far between here in Istanbul, definitely not one right around the corner or even in this whole part of town. There is one though that does deliver to here and every now and then I indulge. As for making this myself, I wouldn't dare. I can get the ingredients from the same place that makes the home deliveries, so that would not be a problem. The level of my culinary skills, however, would! :-D

So, I am hoping that yours are much better than mine and that you will try this out; because in terms of Far Eastern food it really doesn't get much better than Japchae!


INGREDIENTS
  • 8 oz (250 grams) Korean glass noodles
  • 2 large eggs whites and yolks separated
  • 2 Tablespoons oil
  • 6 large shiitake mushrooms sliced ⅓ inch thick
  • ⅓ large yellow onion sliced ⅓ inch thick
  • ½ large red bell pepper julienned¼ inch thick
  • ½ large yellow bell pepper julienned ¼ inch thick
  • ½ large carrot julienned ⅛ inch thick
  • 3 cups baby spinach packed
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 stalks scallions chopped, for garnish
  • 2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds for garnish
Sauce:
  • 3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
  • 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons sesame oil 

INSTRUCTIONS
  • Mix all the sauce ingredients together in small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set it aside.
  • Cook the Korean glass noodles according to the directions. Be sure not to over cook them as they can get soggy. Drain the water and add the hot noodles to a large bowl.
  • Add the sauce to noodles and toss to combine. Let sit on the counter for the noodles to absorb the flavors of the sauce. Any excess sauce will be absorbed by the noodles.
  • Cook the egg whites and egg yolks separately in a flat pan and cut them into strips. Set it aside.
  • Heat a pan over medium high heat and add the mushrooms and the onions. Stir fry them for 2 minutes.
  • Next, add the red and yellow bell peppers, carrots, and minced garlic to the pan. Stir fry for 1 - 2 more minutes. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables, they should still be crunchy.
  • Add the spinach and toss everything together until the spinach starts to wilt. Add a pinch of salt to season the vegetables and remove it from the heat.
  • Add the stir fried vegetables and egg to the seasoned glass noodles. Toss everything to combine and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
RECIPE NOTES
  • Leftovers -  store in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • You can make this ahead the day before and serve it the next day. The noodles will harden and turn opaque when cold but will get soft and turn translucent once reheated. 
  • Try not to overcook the glass noodles - they should have a chewy, al dente texture. It also prevents them from absorbing all of the sauce so keep an eye on the timer.
  • Try not to overcook the vegetables - they should be crisp. Add the vegetables in at different times according to their cook time. Vegetables that take longer should be added first while the ones that take shorter (like spinach) should be added last.
  • Add the sauce while the noodles are hot - this helps the noodles absorb all the sauce and prevents them from sticking together.


Shamelessly filched from: 
Thank you Drive Me Hungry! :-)

Images: Unsplash, Pexels and Freepik.


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