Super Simple Japchae: A Beautiful Meal with Ingredients You Already Have
Making Japchae with Super Simple Ingredients: An Easy and Delicious Japchae Recipe
I made this really simply with ingredients I had at home.
Main Ingredients- 350g Glass noodles (Dangmyeon)
- 270g Sliced pork for Japchae (bulgogi-cut or shabu-shabu cut also works)
- 1 medium Onion (or 2 small ones)
- 1/2 medium Carrot
- 1 green bell pepper
Seasoning & Others- 6 Tbsp Soy sauce (use regular soy sauce, not soup soy sauce)
- 3 Tbsp Sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp Sugar (adjust sweetness to your preference)
- 1 Tbsp Minced garlic
- Pinch of black pepper
- 3 Tbsp Toasted sesame seeds or ground sesame seeds
- Pinch of salt (for stir-frying vegetables)
- A little cooking oil (for stir-frying meat)
- 6 Tbsp Soy sauce (use regular soy sauce, not soup soy sauce)
- 3 Tbsp Sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp Sugar (adjust sweetness to your preference)
- 1 Tbsp Minced garlic
- Pinch of black pepper
- 3 Tbsp Toasted sesame seeds or ground sesame seeds
- Pinch of salt (for stir-frying vegetables)
- A little cooking oil (for stir-frying meat)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash and prepare the vegetables for Japchae: carrot, onion, and green bell pepper. It’s best if they are dry before stir-frying.
Step 2
Slice the carrot into thick matchsticks, about 0.5cm thick. Slice the onion similarly to the carrot. Remove the seeds from the green bell pepper and slice it about 0.5cm wide. Slicing them too thinly might cause them to break apart during cooking, so maintaining a moderate thickness is key.
Step 3
Heat a pan with a little cooking oil. Add the sliced onions. Sprinkle with two pinches of salt and a dash of pepper. Stir-fry the onions just until they become translucent and slightly crisp. Avoid cooking them until they become mushy, as this will affect the texture of the Japchae.
Step 4
Likewise, add the carrots to the same pan, along with two pinches of salt and pepper. Stir-fry quickly over high heat to maintain the carrots’ crispness. Overcooking can dull the bright orange color of the carrots.
Step 5
Stir-fry the green bell pepper separately to preserve its vibrant color. Add it to the pan without salt and cook just until it’s crisp. This step ensures the bell pepper retains its color when mixed with the noodles later.
Step 6
Marinate the sliced pork for Japchae. In a bowl, combine 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, a little ginger juice (optional), and a generous amount of black pepper. Mix well and let it marinate for about 10 minutes. This step allows the flavors to penetrate the meat.
Step 7
Stir-fry the marinated pork over high heat without adding any oil. Use chopsticks or a fork to separate the meat as it cooks to prevent clumping and to retain its juices. Cook until the pork is fully done.
Step 8
Now, it’s time to boil the glass noodles. In a pot, bring plenty of water to a rolling boil. Add the glass noodles and cook for about 7 minutes, or 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest, aiming for an ‘al dente’ texture. Overcooking can make the noodles mushy.
Step 9
Do NOT rinse the cooked noodles under cold water! Drain them thoroughly in a colander while still hot. This prevents the noodles from becoming sticky or gummy and allows them to absorb the sauce better.
Step 10
In a large bowl, combine the drained noodles with all the seasoning ingredients: 6 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp sesame oil, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, and 3 Tbsp sesame seeds. Gently mix everything with your hands until the seasoning is evenly distributed. Mixing while the noodles are warm helps the sauce to be absorbed well.
Step 11
Finally, add the separately stir-fried vegetables and pork to the noodles and mix gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more soy sauce or sugar if needed, according to your family’s preference. Gently toss everything together until well combined. Serve in a nice dish for a beautiful presentation. Your super simple Japchae is ready!
