Japchae is one of Korean’s best-loved dishes. Korean Japchae, literally means mixed vegetables stir fried with sweet potato glass noodles.
It is a number one sought-after dish particularly during the Korean festive holidays. With just a few ingredients, you can easily make this popular dish right in your kitchen, any day and anytime you want. I love to serve this healthy dish to my family or bring it to a potluck party.
Koreans usually cook this dish with beef, but I’ve changed it to chicken which my family prefers. A vegetarian version is another great option!
Serve this dish along with Korean Pajeon as an appetizer to complete your meal. Check out my recipe on how to make a Korean Pajeon here.
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Recipe for Korean Japchae (Mixed Veggies with Sweet Potato Noodles)
Servings: 4 to 6 people
Ingredients
For Chicken Japchae:
- 230 grams of chicken breast (cut into long thin strips)
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of sugar/honey
- 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon of mirin (rice wine, or omit it if you don’t have any of these)
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
For Vegetables & Egg Omelette Japchae:
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 medium-sized sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 large-sized carrot, julienned
- 1 sweet bell pepper, julienned
- 350 grams of spinach (1 large bunch), cleaned well
- 2 sheets Korean fishcake (optional)
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
For Noodles:
- 400 to 450 grams of Korean Sweet Potato noodle, Dangmyun
For Sauce:
- 1/3 cup of soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of sugar/ honey
- 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Method
- Combine all the ingredients for the chicken in a bowl. Marinate for 20 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
- Heat a large skillet using medium-low heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil, swirling to coat.
- Add the beaten eggs to the pan and swirl it to cover the surface of skillet. When the eggs are set, after about 2 to 3 minutes, flip the eggs over and cook the other side for 1 minute. Slip the omelette out to a dish and let it cool.
- Using the same skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and the sliced onions. Season with salt and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook, and dish the onions out onto a plate when it softens. Keep it warm in a bowl/ big plate where you will mix the entire Japchae later.
- Add 1 teaspoon of oil and the bell peppers to the skillet with a pinch of salt. Saute for 1 minute and dish out. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and the carrots and a little salt to the pan. Saute for 2 minutes and dish out.
- Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the same skillet. Add the chicken and saute for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken cooked thoroughly. Remove from pan and keep warm.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add generous amounts of salt to the water. Add spinach and cook for 10 seconds. Remove the cooked spinach and place them in a big bowl of cold water to stop them from getting further cooked. Squeeze out the water from spinach gently. Set aside with other veggies.
- In the same pot of boiled water, add all the sweet potato noodles. Boil the noodles according to the package directions or for 6 to 10 minutes.
- While the noodles are cooking, mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside. Roll up the omelette, slice it into ribbons and set aside.
- Drain the cooked noodles and place them in a big mixing bowl. Cut the noodle into shorter lengths with a kitchen scissors for easy mixing. Pour half of the sauce onto the noodles and gently mix with a tong until the noodles absorb all the sauce.
- Toss the noodles gently using a pair of tongs to combine them with the veggies and chicken.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and sesame oil as desired. Serve and enjoy!
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