Bowl of Sweet Potato Noodles with Meat & Vegies
(click to enlarge)

Sweet Potato Noodle Stir Fry


Korea   -   Japchae
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3 #
***
1-3/4 hr
Yes		 From the Korean court cuisine, this dish is now a popular celebration dish - but it has changed a lot over the centuries. Read also Making and Serving.

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T
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Meat (1)
-- Marinade
Soy Sauce
Mirin (2)
Garlic
Sesame Oil, dark
Pepper, black
-- Mushrooms
Shiitakes, fresh (3)
Black Fungus (4)
-- Noodles Mix
Sweet Potato Noodles (5)
Soy Sauce
Honey
Brown Sugar
Sesame Oil, dark
Pepper, black
-- Spinach Mix
Spinach Leaves
Garlic
Sea Salt
Sesame Oil, dark
-- Vegies
Onion
Carrots
Bell Pepper, red
Scallions
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Oil
Salt
-- Finish items
Egg Strips (6)
Sesame, toasted (7)
Sesame Oil, dark
Do Ahead
  1. IF using: make Egg Strip Garnish. Refrigerate.   - (10 min)
  2. If not on hand, prepare Toasted Sesame Seeds.  - (10 min)
  3. Float wash SPINACH and remove stems.
Prep   -   (1 hr - 35 min work)
  1. Slice MEAT thin and into strips about 3/8 inch wide max, and about 2 inches long. Beef across the grain, Pork and Chicken with the grain.
  2. Mix all Marinade items and massage into Meat. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Soak SHIITAKES and BLACK FUNGUS in warm water for about 45 minutes. This will change the texture of the Shiitakes from tough to silky. The Black Fungus will expand greatly, but remain crunchy.
  4. Remove Stems from Shiitakes and slice thin. Remove hard attachment points from Black Fungus and break or cut into moderate size pieces. Mix.
  5. Bring plenty of Water to a boil. Add SWEET POTATO NOODLES and cook until they are no longer stiff in the center (10 to 15 minutes). They should still be a bit firm and very slippery. Drain and cool with cold water. Drain well.
  6. Stretch out Noodles on you cutting board and cut into 4 to 5 inch lengths.
  7. In a mixing bowl, place Noodles and stir in all Noodles Mix items. Mix well.
  8. Place sliced Mushrooms in a small bowl. Recover a Tablespoon of the Noodle Marinade and stir it into the Shiitakes.
  9. Tear large Spinach Leaves into pieces about 2 x 3 inches.
  10. Bring some Water to a boil. Stir in the Spinach Leaves for no more than 10 seconds. Refresh under cold water and squeeze out excess water. Crush 1 cl Garlic and chop fine. Mix all Spinach Mix items with Spinach. Set aside.
  11. Quarter ONION lengthwise and slice crosswise about 1/8 inch thick. Set aside.
  12. Peel Carrots and cut into narrow juliennes about 2 inches long. I use a julienning vegetable peeler. Set aside.
  13. Cap and core BELL PEPPER. Slice 4 ounces into narrow strips about 2 inches long. Set aside.
  14. Cut thick ends of SCALLIONS in half lengthwise, then cut whole Scallions diagonally into 2 inch lengths. Set aside.
Intermission   -   (15 min)
  1. Clean-up and put kitchen back in order
Run   -   (30 min)
  1. Set out a Large Mixing Bowl. Everything will go into it the moment it is cooked.
  2. Have all ingredients on the list measured, prepared, and ready to cook. Arrange them in order they appear in the steps below. This will go with no time to spare.
  3. Scatter Spinach mix into the bottom of the Mixing Bowl, pulling the leaves apart as best you can.
  4. In a wok or spacious sauté pan, heat 1/2 T Oil over medium heat to about 350°F/175°C. Stir in Onions and fry stirring until translucent but still fairly crisp. Scoop out into the Mixing Bowl.
  5. Add Oil if needed. Stir in Carrots and fry stirring until just crisp tender. Scoop out into the Mixing Bowl.
  6. Add Oil if needed. Stir in Bell Pepper and fry stirring until just crisp tender. Scoop out into the Mixing Bowl.
  7. Add Oil if needed. Stir in Scallions and fry stirring until just crisp tender. Scoop out into the Mixing Bowl.
  8. Add Oil if needed. Stir in Mushroom mix with any marinade and fry stirring for about 2 minutes. Scoop out into the Mixing Bowl.
  9. Add Oil if needed. Stir in Meat with any marinade and fry stirring until all raw color is gone and any exuded liquid has evaporated, (about 4 minutes). Scoop out into the Mixing Bowl.
  10. Add Oil if needed. Stir in Noodles with their marinade and fry tossing about for about 3 minutes or until hot and any liquid has been absorbed.
  11. Add Salt and all Finish items to the Mixing Bowl. Toss everything together to mix evenly. Use Tongs if it's too hot to handle.
  12. Serve as desired, see Serving. This recipe can be reheated in a covered sauté pan or similar, with just a little bit of water, but a certain amount of the carefully created textural contrast will be lost.
NOTES:

  1. Meat:

      While Beef is most used in Korea, Pork, and Chicken are also used. Any of these should be skinless, boneless, and with excess fat removed. Chicken should be Leg or Thigh meat for best flavor and texture. The photo example was made with Beef.

  2. Mirin:

      [Mirim (Korea)]   This is a very sweet Sake. Traditional is nearly unobtainable, but you can make the next best in 5 minutes by our recipe Mirin - Non-Traditional.

  3. Shiitake Mushrooms:

      If you cannot find these, you can use dried "Black Mushrooms", soaked for at least 1-1/2 hours. Shiitake Mushrooms page.

  4. Black Fungus:

      [Wood Ear, Tree Ear, etc.] This is a commonly available item in most Asian markets. For details see our Black Fungus page.

  5. Sweet Potato Noodles

      [Dangmyeon (Korea)]   These are available in pretty much all Korean markets and some general Asian markets. They are "Glass Noodles", but thicker and far more durable than the common Mung Bean noodles. These excellent noodles also pose some challenges. For details see our Sweet Potato Noodles page.

  6. Egg Strips:

      This is a popular garnish for fancy dishes in Korea. It is easy to make using Egg Yolks (recommended). See our recipe Egg Strip Garnish.

  7. Sesame Seeds:

      Toasted sesame seeds are an essential pantry staple for East and Southeast Asian cooking. If you don't have them, just dry pan roast white sesame seeds, stirring and shaking, until they are a medium blonde color. For details see our recipe Toasted Sesame Seeds.

  8. Making:

      Note that the ingredients are all held separately after prep, and cooked separately. This may seem a hassle, but, according to cooks with plenty of experience with this dish, it's the only way to assure a good, or even acceptable Japchae. Keep in mind, this is a "show off" celebration dish, not a weekday supper, so the effort is fully justified.

  9. Serving:

      In Korea, this dish is most often served cold as a banchan (small side dish), but can also be served warm as a main dish, or at room temperature on a buffet. When it is served warm over a bed of rice it is Japchae-bap. Rice should be medium grain Korean / Japanese / California type. My favorite is Kukuho Rose from California.

  10. Japchae

      The name means "mixed vegetables". At its origin in the 17th century CE, when presented in the royal court, it included only vegetables, mushrooms, and seasonings. As it became popular outside the court, meats were added, and in the late 20th century, sweet potato noodles, adopted from China, became an almost essential ingredient. Today, Japchaes are made featuring bean sprouts, seafood, peppers, herbs, etc. with or without noodles.

  11. Vegetarian:

      All you have to do is omit the Meat, or replace it. This can be with Deep Fired Tofu, Pressed Tofu, Pressed and Seasoned Tofu, or, if there is no Celiac risk, Wheat Gluten.
  12. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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