Japchae (Korean Glass Noodle Stir-Fry)

About This Recipe

Japchae is the centrepiece of Korean festive tables, present at every birthday, Chuseok (harvest moon festival) and family celebration. Dangmyeon (sweet potato glass noodles) are cooked until slippery and chewy, then stir-fried with an array of individually seasoned vegetables (spinach, carrot, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper) and beef, all brought together with a soy, sesame oil and sugar sauce. The key is preparing each component separately to preserve distinct flavours and textures before tossing everything together. The result is a beautiful, flavourful dish that is served warm or at room temperature. Japchae is naturally gluten-free when made with tamari instead of regular soy sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 200 gdangmyeon (sweet potato glass noodles)
• 200 gbeef sirloin, thinly sliced
• 30 gdried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
• 150 gspinach
• 1carrot, julienned
• 1yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 tbspsoy sauce
• 3 tbspsesame oil
• 2 tbspsugar
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 4 tbspvegetable oil
• 2 tbspsesame seeds
• to tastesalt and black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Make japchae sauce

   Mix 4 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil, sugar and garlic. Divide between the beef, mushrooms and the final noodle toss.

2. 2

   Cook noodles

   Cook glass noodles in boiling water for 6–8 minutes until just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, cut into 15 cm lengths with scissors. Toss with 1 tbsp sesame oil to prevent sticking.

3. 3

   Cook beef

   Marinate beef in some of the sauce for 10 minutes. Stir-fry in hot oil for 2–3 minutes. Set aside.

4. 4

   Cook vegetables separately

   Stir-fry each vegetable separately with a pinch of salt until just tender. Blanch spinach briefly and season with sesame oil and salt.

5. 5

   Combine

   Add noodles to a large pan or wok. Add remaining sauce and toss over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add all cooked vegetables and beef. Toss everything together until well combined and glossy.

6. 6

   Serve

   Transfer to a platter. Scatter sesame seeds over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian japchae: replace beef with extra mushrooms and tofu.

• •

  Add sliced enoki or king oyster mushrooms for a more complex mushroom flavour.

Storage

Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water.

Frequently Asked Questions