Japchae | 잡채
Stir-fried Sweet Potato Noodles and Vegetables
Stir-fried Sweet Potato Noodles and Vegetables
This dish is made by mixing boiled sweet potato noodles, stir-fried vegetables, mushrooms and meat in soy sauce. Its characteristic is that each type of mushroom and vegetable is cooked separately before they are all mixed. Because of its colorful but classy appearance, japchae is one of the signature dishes of family gatherings. Jap means ‘to mix, to gather,’ and chae means ‘vegetables.’ In short, japchae is made by mixing various vegetables, and only recently have sweet potato noodles added to the dish.
4 bowls cooked white rice (2 lb, 920g)
gochu-jang (red chili pepper paste) and sesame oil as needed
Seasoned mushrooms
5 fresh pyogo (shiitake) mushrooms (5 oz, 150g) (or oyster mushrooms), pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Seasoned spinach
5 oz (150g) fresh spinach, pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, crushed
Seasoned bean sprouts
5 oz (150g) fresh bean sprouts, pinch of salt, 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
Marinade for beef
5 oz (150g) ground beef, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons minced green onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, crushed, pinch of ground black pepper
Serve at room temperature, but not too cold. When selecting the vegetables to use for japchae, consider the harmony of five colors: red, green, white, black and yellow. Use carrots or red peppers for red; cucumbers, spinach or squash for green; bellflower roots, bean sprouts or oyster mushrooms for white; pyogo mushrooms or black tree mushrooms for black; and julienned fried eggs ??for yellow.