Korean Japchae

I first had Japchae when I was living in New York. I thought it was just a Korean version of Chinese stir-fry glass noodles. Later on, I found out that JapChae uses a different type of noodles made of potato-starch, while glass-noodles are actually made of green-bean starch.

Recently, I came across some sweet potato vermicelli at the local Chinese groceries store, and was inspired to try out the Japchae recipe. I referred to Maangchi.com, my go-to website for Korean recipes, and made my own vegetarian version of Japchae.

Japchae literally translates into 杂菜 or mixed vegetables. It is a very flexible recipe that can be customised to your own taste. The noodles that you use, however, do make a difference to the overall texture; potato-starch noodles tend to be thicker and chewier, and absorb the sauce better than glass-noodles.

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SERVINGS: 4 portions

PREPARATION + COOKING TIME: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS:

• (250)g of Sweet Potato Vermicelli

• (2) medium size Carrots - cut into matchsticks

• (1/2) a Cucumber - cut into matchsticks

• (4) medium size Dried Shiitake Mushrooms - soak in hot water and then cut into thin slices

• option: (4) medium size Chestnut Mushrooms - cut into thin slices

• (2) Red Chillies - cut into half, remove seeds, then cut at a slanted angle into long thin slices

• to increase the spiciness level, add (2) Finger Chillies - remove seeds and cut into long thin slices

• (100)g Spinach Leaves

• (5) cloves of Garlic - chop finely

• (1) tablespoon of Ginger - cut into matchsticks (this can be omitted if you dislike ginger)

• (2) stalks of Spring Onions - cut at a slanted angle into thin slices

• (1) tablespoon of Oyster Sauce

• (1) tablespoon of Light Soy Sauce

• (2) teaspoons of Sesame Oil

• (2) teaspoons of Olive Oil

• Salt

• Black Pepper Powder

STEPS:

1. Boil (1)L of water in a kettle and transfer to a pot. Set the stove to high heat and put the vermicelli into the pot. Boil for (15) to (20) min until the vermicelli are soft and cooked thoroughly. Drain the vermicelli and rinse with cold water for a few minutes, then set aside.
2. Blanch the spinach in the boiled water for a few minutes, then drain and set aside.
3. Set the stove to medium heat and pour olive oil into a pan. When the oil is hot, add in the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry until they become fragrant (or turn slightly brownish).
4. Add the carrots and mushrooms to the pan and stir fry for a few minutes until they soften.
5. Add the cucumber and chillies to the mix and stir fry for another few minutes (these are added later to prevent overcooking).
6. Put the vermicelli, spinach and stir-fried vegetables into a tray or mixing bowl.
7. Add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and black pepper to the ingredients, and then mix everything thoroughly using a spatula.
8. Serve in a plate and garnish with spring onion slices (if you wish to serve the noodles hot, heat them up in the microwave oven for 1 min).

Bon appetit!