Japchae (Korean Sweet Potato Noodles)
Make japchae at home if you want a comforting, delicious, and nutritionally balanced meal for your weekday dinner. The tender sweet potato noodles are tossed with charred beef and crispy veggies in a sweet savory sauce. This recipe uses shortcuts to make the cooking process easier than the traditional recipe. {Gluten Free adaptable, vegan adaptable}To make this dish gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos to replace the soy sauce.This recipe yields two big servings to serve as a main, or 4 small servings if you pair it with other dishes.
Servings: 2 to 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz. (225 g) beef flank steak (*Footnote 1)
- 6 oz. (170 g) dried sweet potato noodles
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic , grated
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Stir fry
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 8 oz. (225 g) mushrooms , sliced (oyster, white, portobello, or shiitake)
- 1 carrot , sliced
- 1/2 yellow onion , sliced
- 5 green onions , chopped to 2” (4 cm) pieces
- 8 oz. (225 g) spinach , root removed and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Slice the beef against the grain into thin pieces, about 1/8” (3 mm) thick. Transfer into a medium-sized bowl.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the dried sweet potato noodles according to the instructions on the package. Taste the noodles once done. They should be cooked through and tender, ready to serve. Immediately drain the noodles and rinse them with tap water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons of sauce into the bowl with the beef. Mix with your hand to coat the beef evenly with a thin layer of sauce. Let marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large carbon steel (or nonstick pan) over medium high heat until hot. Spread the beef with minimal overlapping. Let cook without touching until the bottom turns golden brown, 1 minute or so. Flip with a spatula to cook the other side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s seared on the surface but not cooked through, 1 minute or so.
- Add the carrot, yellow onion, and green onion. Pour 1/2 tablespoon oil on top and sprinkle with salt. Stir and cook until the veggies turn tender and cooked through. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and spinach into the same pan. Cook and stir until the spinach is withered. Transfer to the bowl with the rest of the cooked veggies. Add the cooked sweet potato noodles and beef. Pour the rest of the sauce on top. Add the sesame seeds. Toss with a pair of tongs until the sauce is absorbed.
- Serve warm as a main dish.
- The dish can be assembled in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave before serving.
Notes
- You can use other proteins to cook this dish, too. For example, chicken breast, chicken thigh, pork loin, and shrimp are some great options. You can also use tofu or skip the protein altogether to make the dish vegan.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 443kcal, Carbohydrates: 53.1g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 17.8g, Saturated Fat: 3.4g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 1003mg, Potassium: 856mg, Fiber: 3.5g, Sugar: 19.5g, Calcium: 130mg, Iron: 13mg