Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles) with Beef

Japchae is a delicious and popular Korean dish. Its main ingredient is starch noodles made from sweet potatoes. The noodles have a wonderfully chewy texture and pair perfectly with thinly sliced beef, mushrooms, vegetables, and a flavorful sauce. This dish can be served either hot or cold. I prefer the cold version.

Ingredients

• 200 g Korean glass noodles

• 100 g beef tenderloin

• 7 dried shiitake mushrooms (can be substituted with any other mushrooms)

• 1 medium carrot

• 1 medium onion

• 100 g spinach

For the Sauce

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tbsp finely chopped green onion

• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic

• 1 tsp sesame oil (can be substituted with any vegetable oil)

For Garnish

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Steps

1. The day before preparing the dish, soak the mushrooms until soft. Squeeze out the excess liquid and cut the mushrooms into pieces

2. Cook the noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water

3. Cut the beef into very thin strips

4. Cut the carrot into thin strips

5. Dice the onion

6. Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a wok and stir-fry the mushrooms, beef, carrot, and onion over high heat for 3–4 minutes

7. Blanch the spinach in boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain, rinse with cold water, squeeze out the excess liquid, and finely chop

8. Mix all the sauce ingredients together

9. Add the noodles and spinach to the wok, pour in the sauce, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes

10. For the garnish, make a thin omelet with the egg and cut it into thin strips

11. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet

12. Garnish the dish with the omelet strips and toasted sesame seeds