Sweet and savory glass noodles with fresh veggies and marinated mushrooms. Heaven! This popular banchan is super fun and easy to make with the help of Maangchi's recipe as a base. You'll be slurping in less than 30 minutes! Makes about 5 large bowls.
Note: This recipe has lots of steps, but I promise it's easy! Most of it is done in a single pan. Mise en place is very important for this recipe, as it cooks quickly. Chop, measure, and organize all your ingredients beforehand.
Ingredients:
6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 2 hours then sliced thinly
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
6 oz spinach
8 oz potato starch noodles
1 small bunch green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
6 button mushrooms, sliced thinly
2 small bell peppers or 6 mini sweet peppers (red and/or yellow), sliced thinly
1/4 head red cabbage, sliced thinly
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Neutral oil for sautéing
Instructions:
Marinate the soaked shiitake mushrooms in a mixture of 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 3 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Mix evenly and set aside.
Boil a large pot of water. Blanche the spinach for 30 seconds or until wilted and remove with a slotted spoon or strainer. Keep the water boiling while you rinse the spinach under cold water and drain it. Set the spinach in a large, heat-safe mixing bowl.
Boil the sweet potato starch noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse in cold water, and place in the mixing bowl with the spinach.
While the noodles are boiling, heat a pan with neutral oil for sautéing the veggies. Each veggie should be sautéed separately to maintain optimal texture and color. We also don't want to overcrowd the pan. Once each veggie is done sautéing, place it in the mixing bowl.
Sauté the onions and green onions for 3 minutes or until the yellow onion is translucent and season lightly with salt. Place in the mixing bowl.
Sauté the button mushrooms for 3 minutes or until softened and season lightly with salt. Place in mixing bowl.
Sauté the peppers and cabbage for 2 minutes and season lightly with salt. Place in mixing bowl.
Sauté the marinated shiitake mushrooms to your desired consistency. I cooked mine for about 3 minutes. Place in the mixing bowl.
Add the remaining seasonings to the mixing bowl: the garlic, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ground black pepper. Using tongs, toss and mix the japchae. Taste and add soy or sugar to your taste.
Eat now or later! I love eating japchae cold, so I like to refrigerate mine for a few hours before eating. I think the flavors meld better after letting it sit, too.
Slurpin' til I die.
- Arielle