Have you ever tried sweet potato starch noodles? They are a key ingredient in Korean japchae!
Have you ever tried sweet potato starch noodles? As strange as they might sound, they are a key ingredient in the tasty Korean dish known as japchae. If you’ve got a potluck dinner coming up, why not give this noodle dish a chance? Here are the ingredients and the methods you will need to prepare this recipe.
The Ingredients for Korean Japchae
With these ingredients, you should be able to cook up a big enough meal to serve four people:
- 4 ounces of beef or pork shoulder, sliced into quarter-inch wide and 2.5 inch long strips
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 large shiitake mushrooms dipped in warm water for 2-3 hours, each sliced into small strips
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon, 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 2 tablespoons, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
- 4 ounces of spinach that have been rinsed and dried
- 4 ounces of sweet potato starch noodles (known as dangmyeon)
- 2 or 3 green onions cut into 2 inch long pieces
- 1 medium-sized onion, which should be about a cup
- 1 medium-sized carrot, cut into little matchsticks
- 4 or 5 white mushrooms sliced thin
- ½ red bell pepper, which you can cut into strips if you want
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable oil
The Methods for Korean Japchae
Meat and Mushrooms: Start by marinating the meat and the mushrooms. Then, put the meat into a bowl and combine it with one clove of the minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. You can mix everything up using a wooden spoon, or with your hands, it’s your choice. Once everything is together, you should cover the bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for all the flavor to soak on.
Egg Garnish: Break the egg and remove the yolk from the egg whites. Get the white, stringy goo off the yolk. Add some salt to the egg with a fork. Pour some oil into a preheated nonstick pan. Spread the oil in the pan and wipe some off if it’s too much. Turn the heat off and add the yolk mixture to the pan so it spreads out evenly. Cook it in the residual heat for about a minute. After the egg is cool, slice it into small pieces.
The Vegetables: Blanch the veggies in a pot of boiling water, and then use the water to cook the noodles. Cut the noodles, and heat everything together. Then mix in the meat, mushrooms, and egg garnish.
Get All Your Asian Groceries at Lotte Plaza Market
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