Korean noodles: Japchae


Japchae is a healthy and light Korean dish with noodles made from potato starch. they have a smooth & springy texture and a unique taste. I tried them simply because they look like a lot of fun, and they were!
Serves 2
around 100 gms dangmyeon (korean potato starch noodles)
1 carrot, julienned
1 onion, sliced
5 re hydrated dried shitake mushrooms
two generous handfuls of spinach, leaves separated & blanched lightly
some spring onions( I did not have any)
a few drops of oil (preferably sesame)
1 to 2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of soy sauce ( or to taste)
Gochujang: Korean hot pepper paste(optional)
toasted sesame seeds for garnish


The veggies in the picture are for a single serving only

Boil the noodles in plenty of water around 5 to 6 minutes (after the water starts boiling) or according to the packet instructions. Wash with cold water, snip into manageable lengths and toss with a splash of soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil to keep them from sticking
Then, prepare the veggies by lightly cooking them individually with a few drops of oil and some soy sauce each, without browning them. While this ensures that all the vegetables are cooked perfectly, next time I'm going to try to cook them in one go, and see if it really makes a difference. Finally, fry the garlic & add the noodles with a bit of gochujang(if using) and all the vegetables and mix well
None of the recipes actually called for gochujang but since I had purchased a bottle with the noodles, I just wanted to use it. You could add a pinch of sugar though, if you are not using gochujang, which is sweet and spicy(not very spicy though, by Indian standards!)
The noodles need to be cooked for only a minute or so to warm them and mix them thoroughly with everything else. Sprinkle sesame seeds ( I like lots of it!)

22 comments:

  1. ooh the noodles! I love those!! * goes off to search *

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  2. Woww outstanding noodles dish...just love it!

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  3. Love the look of that dish. All I need now is a fork.:-)

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  4. Loved how the noodles looks. Have never tried them. Maybe my Asian store carries them

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  5. Noodles topped with sesame seeds are looking delicious :)

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  6. Delicious noodles, Lovely color.

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  7. those noodles look so cute and transparent. made of potato starch? I am gonna go on noodle hunt this weekend :)

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  8. Looks so colorful and yum, DB! I really liked the hot pepper paste used in Korean cooking.

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  9. Opps, wrong ID. This is Vani of Mysoorean :)

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  10. I saw these last time I was in the grocery and almost picked them up... your recipe looks tasty... I will pick some up next time :)

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  11. I recently saw these potato noodles in a recipe book. they look so tempting & the texture reminded me of the noodles of the kulfi...

    Looks awesome . i need to go look for these noodles! Love the sesame in it.

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  12. outstanding recipe, Rashmi..bookmarked it..where do u get this noodles here?

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  13. Made with starch another way to gulp the potato! awesome!

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  14. the noodles look enticing n inviting......are these also called cellophane noodles?
    it's a very good balance of flavors.

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  15. Indrani: I got these noodles and the gochujang at NTUC Toa Payoh, you can also get these at Korean marts, there is one Novena Square, another at Bencoleen and then one at the Cathay Building at Grange Road

    Sangeeta:These are different from cellophane noodles. Those are made from moong and these from potatoes

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  16. Send a plate over to me now please/

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  17. Amazing..i wish u could pass on some here, but i know u can't ..m sure u have licked it clean ;-)

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  18. SO yummy looking Rashmi. I have an Asian mart here but it's at a driving distance. Would love to eat this.

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  19. Wow what a pretty looking dish - have not tasted this but have read about it before.

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  20. Japchae is new to my ears. But I like spicy foods. Maybe that's why I fancy Korean Cuisine. A lot of their foods recipe have one or two spicy ingredients in it like gochujang and gochugaru. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I'll definitely make one for our Korean Night. Korean Noodles and Korean TV - a healthy dose of Korean Idols like GDragon and TOP! :)

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