Japchae – Korean Glass Noodles With Stir-Fry Vegetables & Meat

Japchae (chapchae 잡채) is a popular Korean dish made from Korean glass noodles (dangmyeon 당면) with stir-fry vegetables and meat. Japchae may sound and look like our Chinese chap chai (mixed vegetables with glass noodles) and that’s it. The texture and taste are totally different. The noodles, dangmyeon is chewy are made from sweet potato starch. I’m so in love with dangmyeon! You hear me? Haha

Like Cazzycazz, I’ve never order this dish at Korean restaurant before because I think it’s not worth it. RM30 wor. I can get the ingredients at less than half that price. Even after cooking this dish twice at home, I still think it’s not worth ordering from restaurant. Stingy is me. Hahaha But I guess I gotta order at least once so that I can compare the taste right?

Before we proceed let me give you a head up. Your first time preparing this dish is not gonna be eventful. There are so much slicing and ‘put aside’ involved. But I assure you it’s so gonna be worth it! After that everything is a breeze. After that means 2nd time and beyond cooking this dish. 🙂

Come now let’s cook this lovely dish.

Begin by soaking 4 pieces of black fungus in water.

I had a hard time finding ’em in the kitchen pantry.

Next, slice pork belly into about 0.3cm.

Rub the sliced pork belly with salt and then rinse with water.

Add soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, salt and black pepper. Mix well.
Let it sit in the fridge while you prepare other ingredients.

This is the Korean soy sauce (ganjang) that I used.

Next slice bell peppers, carrots, onions, spring onions and black fungus.

This is dangmyeon, Korean glass noodles.

Bring a pot of water to boil and place the noodles in. Boil for about 7-8 minutes. The recipe call for 50g which I think is too little. Hence I add another 100g making it 150g. Noodles cooking time become a little longer.

While you are boiling the noodles, start by frying a beaten egg in a pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cut into thin strips once done. Set aside.

Next in the same pan, stir-fry the pork until done. Put aside.
Without washing the pan (since I want the precious sauce from the meat to seep into the veggies), stir-fry bell peppers and season with salt. Put aside.

Continue with stir-frying carrots, black fungus and onions separately. Adding oil and salt necessarily. Set them aside once done.

Here’s the result of the separately cooked meat, omelette, onions (nearly hidden), carrots, black fungus and bell peppers.

Drain the cooked noodles well. I wash the noodles under running water a few times. Look at the transparency of the noodles. Lovely ya? 😉

Now heat some oil in the same pan. I didn’t wash my pan as it is non-stick. Stir-fry the noodles for few minutes. Since it’s already translucent after boiling, I judge the cooking time by testing bits of the noodles. As long as I can chew and swallow, that’s good. LOL

Then add spring onion, cooked meat, onions and vegetables. Mix well.
Add sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a dish and garnish with omelette strips and toasted sesame seeds. I also add a little spring onions on top.

Remember to saute the vegetables separately to preserve their color as they each has different cooking time – the vividness of color is very important in Korean cuisine.

Isn’t this dish beautiful? It’s so colorful and appetizing!

I was so happy with the outcome of this dish that I happily snap away without realizing I’ve forgotten to garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Hahaha

Here’s one with sesame seeds.

You can serve this dish as main or side dish. For me I love to eat it just like that and with rice too.

Just leave the meat out if you’re going for a full vegetarian dish.
Japchae is a versatile dish. Feel free to be creative and add your favorite veggies and meat.

Btw I’ve just bought Korean sesame oil. I will be making my 3rd japchae soon. I heard Korean sesame oil is very yummy one. 🙂

Cooked my 3rd japchae using Korean sesame oil. I also added Korean anchovies dashida (soup stock) in the fry noodle stage. The final taste is aromatic and even more delicious! Adding anchovies dashida was taught by a food promoter.

Chapchae (Japchae)
Recipe from Flavours magazine (March-April 2009)
Serves 4

meat marinade
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
salt and black pepper to taste

100g pork, beef or chicken, sliced
50g dangmyeon (dried sweet potato noodles) [I used 150g instead]
2 tablespoons oil for frying
1 carrot, cut into julienne (thin strip)
2 small onions, finely sliced
1/4 green bell pepper, finely sliced
1/4 red bell pepper, finely sliced
1/4 yellow bell pepper, finely sliced
4 pieces black fungus, soaked, sliced
1 egg, beaten
2 stalks spring onion, sliced
sesame oil to taste
sugar, salt and pepper to taste
toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method:
To marinade meat:
1. In a bowl, add all the marinade ingredients.
2. Add the meat and mix well.
3. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for about 20 minutes.

To cook noodles:
1. Add water in saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Add noodles and boil for about 7-8 minutes or until noodles are cooked. Drain the noodles.

To cook meat and vegetables:
1. Heat some oil in a pan.
2. Stir-fry the meat until cooked. Dish out and put aside.
3. Add a little more oil and stir-fry the following ingredients separately: carrot, onion, bell peppers and fungus. Remember to add salt. Dish them out and set aside.

To fry omelette:
1. Place some oil in a clean pan and add the egg. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Once omelette is set, cut into thin strips.

To fry noodles:
1. Heat some oil in a pan and add the noodles. Stir-fry until translucent.
2. Then add the meat and vegetables which you have set aside and spring onion. Mix them well and season to taste with sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Optional: Add Korean anchovies dashida.
3. Place the japchae in a plate and garnish with omelette strips and toasted sesame seeds.

Hope your enjoy this beautiful dish.