Yachae Japchae (v) Recipe
Make Yachae Japchae (v) Recipe in just 45m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Glass noodles & sauce
Vegetables
Finishing & seasoning
Method
Glass noodles & sauce
- 1
Soak/Boil noodles
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the sweet potato glass noodles and cook 6–7 minutes until translucent but still slightly chewy (al dente). Stir occasionally so noodles don’t clump. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Trim noodles with scissors into 20–25 cm lengths if preferred.
- 2
Season noodles
Return drained noodles to the pot or a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and toss to coat so they don’t stick. Set aside while you prepare vegetables.
- 3
Make sauce
In a small bowl combine 6 tbs soy sauce, 2 tbs sugar, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp ground black pepper and 1/2 cup water. Stir until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust: it should be savory with a touch of sweetness. Reserve 2–3 tbs of this sauce to stir into finished japchae if desired.
Vegetables
- 4
Prepare vegetables
Peel and julienne the carrots into matchsticks to measure about 1 cup. Slice shiitake mushrooms into thin strips (if using dried, rehydrate in warm water first and squeeze out excess). Seed and thinly slice the red bell pepper. Thinly slice the yellow onion and chop green onions into 2–3 inch lengths. Mince the garlic.
- 5
- 6
Cook carrots & onions
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add julienned carrots and stir-fry 2–3 minutes until just tender; transfer to a plate. In the same pan add another 1/2 tablespoon oil and add sliced onion; stir-fry 2 minutes until slightly translucent but not browned; transfer to the plate with carrots.
- 7
Cook mushrooms & pepper
Add 1/2 tablespoon oil to the pan and sauté mushrooms over medium-high heat 3–4 minutes until liquids evaporate and edges brown; add 1 tbs soy sauce and stir. Transfer mushrooms to the plate. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and stir-fry red bell pepper 1–2 minutes until slightly softened; set aside with other vegetables.
- 8
Lightly cook garlic & scallions
Wipe pan if needed, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil and briefly sauté minced garlic and the white parts of the green onions 20–30 seconds until fragrant — do not burn. Combine garlic/scallions with other vegetables.
Assembly & finishing
- 9
Combine noodles, vegetables and sauce
Heat the large skillet or a clean large bowl. Add the drained, oiled noodles and pour the prepared sauce over them (reserve 2–3 tbs if you set aside earlier). Toss gently with tongs or two forks while heating over very low heat (about 1–2 minutes) to allow the noodles to soak up sauce.
- 10
Add vegetables
Add the cooked carrots, onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, blanched spinach, and the green onion greens to the noodles. Drizzle 1 tbs sesame oil and the 2 tbs soy sauce (for vegetables) over the mixture and toss thoroughly until evenly combined and heated through, about 1–2 minutes. If mixture seems dry add the reserved 2–3 tbs sauce or a splash of water.
- 11
Season & finish
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Add 1 tbs toasted sesame seeds and toss once more. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle additional toasted sesame seeds and remaining green onion tops if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.