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Japchae (South Korea)

Name: Japchae (South Korea)
Total time: 30 min
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 300 g Sweet potato noodles; 150 g Sliced beef; 150 g Spinach; 1 Carrot; 150 g Mushroom; 1 Onion; 4 tbsp Soy sauce; 1 tbsp Sugar; 2 tbsp Sesame oil; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Sesame seeds

Preparation time: 30 min
Servings: serves 4

Ingredients

serves 4

Sweet potato noodles — to buy300 g
Sliced beef — to buy150 g
Spinach — to buy150 g
Carrot — to buy1
Mushroom — to buy150 g
Onion — to buy1
Soy sauce — to buy4 tbsp
Sugar — to buy1 tbsp
Sesame oil — to buy2 tbsp
Garlic — to buy2 cloves
Sesame seeds — to buy1 tsp

Preparation

Cook the sweet potato noodles following the pack instructions (usually 6-8 minutes), rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and keep them from sticking, and cut them roughly with scissors if they're very long.
Cook the sliced beef with the garlic for 3-4 minutes in a little sesame oil, until browned. Set aside on a plate.
In the same pan, stir-fry the julienned carrot, sliced onion, mushrooms and spinach separately, 2-3 minutes each, setting each aside as you go: cooking them one by one lets every vegetable keep its own colour and texture instead of stewing together.
Mix the still-warm noodles with the soy sauce, sugar and remaining sesame oil in a large bowl: warm noodles soak up the sauce better.
Add the beef and all the vegetables, then toss well by hand or with two forks so every noodle gets coated in sauce and everything is evenly distributed.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm or at room temperature: japchae is even better made a little ahead, giving the flavours time to meld.