Why you need to learn this
The benefits of japchae are myriad: It’s easy. It’s delicious. And, it’s one model for how to approach the larger World of Noodles.
The steps you take
To make japchae, consider first the final step, where you combine the ingredients in one pan (or wok, if you’re feeling it). The focus here is not on cooking, per se, but, rather, on heating everything to an even temperature. This being the final step, it makes sense that the earlier steps involve prepping and cooking those individual ingredients. Let’s take a gander:
Noodles: Koreans make japchae with a brownish, translucent noodle called dangmyeon, made from sweet potato starch. Since they need to be hydrated, some people soak them while others boil them, resulting in a somewhat softer texture. You can determine your own preference.
Regardless, while your noodles luxuriate in their bath, prep your other ingredients.
Meat: Beef is common, but, remember, it’s your dinner. Whatever you choose, it should be naturally tender because it’ll cook only briefly, not long enough to tenderize tougher cuts. Tenderloin is impressive, but, if you’ve not yet received your tax refund, save some scratch and go with sirloin. Or pork or chicken. Or, for vegetarian or vegan diets, use tofu or just vegetables.
Cut meat into thin, bite-size pieces and marinate it (see below) or not. Either way, stir-fry it just long enough to cook it through. Japchae features dangmyeon Korean sweet potato starch noodles stir-fried with Prep: tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
teaspoon (or to taste) ground black pepper, plus more as needed
ounces dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato starch noodles) small yellow onion, sliced (julienne) red bell pepper, sliced thin strips (julienne) Eggs: Not necessary, but eggs add protein, color and texture. Whisk them together, then cook in a nonstick pan like you would an omelet.
Only, no folding. Keep it round and flat. Then flip it and cook the other side. When it cools, cut it into strips. Vegetables: Carrots, mushrooms, any of the allium genus: onions, scallions, garlic, shallots, etc. And ginger is wonderful. Cut it all into julienne strips, then stir-fry.
The sauce: Sweeten soy sauce with a little sugar and add a splash of sesame oil.
And how much sauce? Overall, you want the dish to be moist and lightly coated with sauce. You want to taste the sauce, but, at the same time, you don’t want to beat down your other ingredients.
Now, your prep is done: Your noodles are soaked, your beef is stir-fried, your veggies are cooked, your egg is omeletized and julienned and your sauce is mixed and waiting. All you do now is toss it all over high heat in a little oil until it’s piping hot. Garnish with sesame seeds and you’re done.