Japchae, sweet potato starch noodles stir fried with vegetables and meat, is one of Korea’s best-loved dishes, and one of the most popular on my website as well.
If anyone asks me to recommend a good potluck dish, I don’t hesitate to answer japchae for the simple reason that pretty much everyone loves it. At any gathering it’s hard to pass up these chewy, sweet, and slightly slippery noodles with colorful stir-fried vegetables and mushrooms, its irresistible sesame flavor, healthy amount of garlic, and light, refreshing taste.
Stir frying each ingredient separately seems like a lot of labor, but each one requires a different cooking time and a bit of care, and keeping the color and freshness of each ingredient intact makes for a stunning final presentation. An easy way to make it even prettier and more nutritious is to use more vegetables and less noodles, although this is hard to recommend because the noodles are delicious by themselves.
Let me know if you make this at a party! Double, triple, quadruple the ingredients and let everyone taste your japchae!
Ingredients
(serves 4):
- 4 ounces beef, filet mignon (or pork shoulder), cut into ¼ inch wide and 2½ inch long strips
- 2 large dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 2 to 3 hours, cut into thin strips
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces spinach, washed and drained
- 4 ounces of dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles)
- 2 to 3 green onions, cut crosswise into 2 inch long pieces
- 1 medium onion (1 cup), sliced thinly
- 4 to 5 white mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 1 medium carrot (¾ cup), cut into matchsticks
- ½ red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (optional)
- ground black pepper
- kosher salt
- vegetable oil
Directions
Marinate the beef and mushrooms:
- Put the beef and shiitake mushrooms into a bowl and mix with 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil with a wooden spoon or by hand. Cover and keep it in the fridge.
Make the egg garnish (jidan):
- Crack the egg and separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Remove the white stringy stuff (chalaza) from the yolk. Beat in a pinch of salt with a fork.
- Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to a heated nonstick pan. Swirl the oil around so it covers the pan, and then wipe off the excess heated oil with a kitchen towel so only a thin layer remains on the pan.
- To keep the jidan as yellow as possible, turn off the heat and pour the egg yolk mixture into the pan. Tilt it around so the mixture spreads thinly. Let it cook using the remaining heat in the pan for about 1 minute. Flip it over and let it sit on the pan for 1 more minute.
- Let it cool and slice it into thin strips.
Prepare the noodles and vegetables:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and blanch for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then take it out with a slotted spoon or strainer. Let the water keep boiling to cook the noodles.
- Rinse the spinach in cold water to stop it from cooking. Squeeze it with your hands to remove any excess water. Cut it a few times and put it into a bowl. Mix with 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. Put it into a large mixing bowl.
- Put the noodles into the boiling water, cover and cook for 1 minute. Stir them with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick together. Cover and keep cooking for another 7 minutes until the noodles are soft and chewy.
- Strain and cut them a few times with kitchen scissors. Put the noodles into the large bowl next to the spinach. Add 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix well by hand or a wooden spoon. This process will season the noodles and also keep the noodles from sticking to each other.
- Heat up a skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil with the onion, the green onion, and a pinch of salt. Stir-fry about 2 minutes until the onion looks a little translucent. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
- Heat up the skillet again and add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Add the white mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until softened and a little juicy. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
- Heat up the skillet and add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Add the carrot and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Add the red bell pepper strips and stir-fry another 20 seconds. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
- Heat up the skillet and add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Add the beef and mushroom mixture and stir fry for a few minutes until the beef is no longer pink and the mushrooms are softened and shiny. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
Mix and serve:
- Add 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil to the mixing bowl full of ingredients. Mix all together by hand.
- Add the egg garnish and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. Mix it and transfer it to a large plate and serve.
Hello,ebony,
Yes, you can make kimchi using so many different kinds of vegetables such as bok choy, green onions,mustard green etc..
check this out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_cabbage
Hello Maagnchi!
I love your Job Chae recipe, it is very delicious. I have a question…it is possible to make kimchi with other non-cabbage items….besides radish and cucumber? I love cabbage kimchee but I have an allergy to it right now and I also can’t have cucumbers…I am a walking allergy right now but it will pass. For now if you know of any other kimchis that I could make with other veggies could you let me know! Thanks so much!
Amy,
I saw the photo of your jobchae you sent me now. It looks terrific! Spicy pork and spicy squid soup. I haven’t shown the recipe yet here. I will include it in the list of my upcoming cooking videos. Spicy beef? For some reason, I ‘ve never made spicy beef.
Anyway spicy squid soup is very delicous and popular in the southern part of Korea. I’m wondering which squid soup you are talking about.
I will post your jobchae photo soon in my blog. People will be encouraged to try it out when they see your photo.
Hi Maangchi!
Your instructions are marvellous! Even a beginner cook like me finds it very easy to follow. I made jobchae last night together with my mum – it was so easy and yummy – just like at the korean restaurants! I used chicken instead of beef as I cannot eat beef due to an injury at the moment. I will send you a picture soon!
I am so eager to try your other recipes- I am going to try Spicy beef soup next! ;)I looked in recipes but I did not see one for Stir fried Spicy Pork or for Spicy beef, squid and vegetable soup – have I overlooked it?
Cheers
Amy
Hi, Cub,
I’m glad to hear that you got lots of compliments from your father. You deserve it! I never think any cooking utensils with good brand name is much better than regular ones. I have 2 kitchen knives: Henkels and no name one from Korean grocery store. I have a good knife sharpener. As long as I have a good sharpener, any knives will be fine.
Hi again Maangchi!
My Dad says the Bibimbap I made is the best he’s ever had–even in Korea! So, I owe that all to you:) Quick question please: What kind of knife do you use? My knife is so extremely dull that it takes me so long to chop the carrots.
Alicia,
You must be talented in cooking. You can cook korean dish for the first time by just watching my cooking video.
Thank you very much, leave any questions if you have.
Dear Maangchi,
Thanks for the delicious job-chae recipe and excellent instructions. My korean husband loved it!
Watching your cooking videos is like having a personal cooking instructor–truely! I have learned kimbap, kkakdugi, and pulgolgi all from you! Thank you!
zeryx28,
You are now a queen of jobchae!
I am glad to hear that. Next time I suggest finding the starch noodles (daang myun in korean) to make it.
Hi Maangchi,
Never knew job chae was so easy to make! I made it twice already and was delicious. I didn’t have daang myun so I used Chinese bean thread instead (thin starch noodles).
Hi, Cindy!
It looks wonderful! You are a very talented cook! : )
Hello maangchi.. Today i made job chae. It was easy to make and taste awesome..I’m so happy my family likes my job chae.. Thanks for your video.
Here’s my job chae:
http://www.friendster.com/photos/3418251/1/168258181
Since i don’t have beef today, i use few shrimps. Taste realy good.
Cindy
Agasuka,
wow it looks perfect jobchae.
You are such a good cook. Check it out everybody.
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!fRcxarKTFxY5k6QGsJ605Q–/article?mid=110
I made Jap Chae for Christmas.
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!fRcxarKTFxY5k6QGsJ605Q–/article?mid=110
Most recent: Hong Kong style Pork Chop Rice Bake
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!fRcxarKTFxY5k6QGsJ605Q–
Hi, Happylove,
Yes, you can use pork instead of beef. Some people prefer to use pork. Thanks,
Oh okay, I got it written down. Also, is it okay to substitute beef with pork? Will it taste the same?
hi,happylove,
Please watch the video and find out how much ingredients I used for it. There are many jobchae recipes on the internet, but I won’t give you one of those because I want to give you mine.
Follow the recipe exactly step by step, then you won’t fail.
Is it possible if you can give the detailed recipe for Jap-Chae? Like how much sauce I need to put together. I’m planning on making quite a lot noodles and was wondering how much I need in order to make it taste good.
Thank you!!
deborah,
The reason I stir fry each vegetable and beef strips separately is that I don’t want to mix the color of each ingredient with each other.
that job chae looks so good!!! i only have one question, why did you not cook everything (minus the noodle) together during one stir fry? i’ve never made job chae before so i don’t really know the reason…
Hi,lost_cluster,
My my response about your message is posted as a new topic.
Check it out, please.
Hi Maangchi, i´m manonpiano from youtube I´ve found your blog, thats great to have a blog of korean cooking! :P congratulations, i´m pretty shure that you are going to be famous if your are not already ;) you are some kind of dream came true to every korean food lover i´ve found that korean people is very jelaous of their costumes specially on their cooking :P just as you don´t ask on how they cook every korean is incredibly hospitable and you feel great with them, but finally i found somebody who isn´t that way and is sharing this wonderfull recipes.
Hi,
Yes, it’s called glass noodles because it looks translucent.
Good luck with your making Jobchae!
Thank you for posting your cooking videos! It sure gives us amateur cooks a ‘clearer picture’ on how to prepare the dish =) I’ll definitely make this Job Chae. Can I clarify if the noodles that you are using is similar to the ‘glass noodles’??
Rdgs
Ma-li
Hello,
I am quoting some comments from my youtube because you might be interested in it.
phantomer commented
i just got an instant bowl version of this noodle. havent tried it yet, but i only bought it out of curiosity and it’ll suck compare to hand-made like yours.
anyhoo i dont know why some call it stir fried noodle, if only vegetables are stir fried. it’s nothing like chinese/japanese fried noodles like chowmein/yakisoba/etc etc. it’s more like sweet glass noodle with vegetable, or something……
keep up the good work ms.hammer
My answer:
phantomer,
You are right, it shouldn’t be called stir-fried noodles with vegetables because I didn’t do stir frying for the noodles. There are 2 ways of cooking: one is the way I did, and the other is stir frying all. I don’t like greasy food, that’s why I use the first method. Good comment, I should copy and paste your comment on my blog. : )
Hi, James!
Jobchae nooldes’ color will be a little brownish which is from soy sauce or brown sugar. No need to use any artificial color.
Thanks!
Hi Maangchi! I’ve made this dish twice now (last time was this afternoon) but each time it’s not the characteristic ‘orange-y’ color that I remember. Last time, I added annatto for color. Could you tell me what gives the dish an orange color?
감사합니다!
I’m very glad to hear your making Jobchae is succesful!
Thanks Maangchi,
I just made Job Chae and it was really good! I had no idea how easy it was until I watched your video. I didn’t have any beef so I put a fried egg on top. I will definitely make this recipe often in the future.
Hi,lillian,
Sesame oil is made from roasted sesame seeds, so its smell is really good. You can ask “Sesame oil” in any Asian grocery store.
Let me know how it goes.
Hi Maangchi,
I love your cooking videos. I can’t wait to try the kimchi later this summer. I would like to make the Job Chae but I am wondering about the sesame oil–what type do you use? Is it roasted or plain?
Hehe keep forgetting to sign my comments.
Z
Awesome. It looks like it would take a long time to make. I’m not sure I like that kind of noodle, so maybe I’d use a thin udon or yeah spaggetti!
It sounds good! I sometimes use leftover spagetti noodles for Asian style of noodle soup. why not!
This is one of my favorites because my kids will eat it even when I put in all the vegetables. I even make it with spaghetti noodles sometimes.