Japchae is a stir-fried vegan Korean sweet potato glass noodle that is mixed with vegetables and seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. It is a popular side dish that is served in most Korean restaurants.
One time, my Korean friend invited me to one of the most popular Korean dining places in Cebu city called Samgyupsalamat, a barbecue restaurant that serves unlimited beef or pork to grill. In that restaurant, they serve many delicious side dishes along with the meat, and one side dishes that I enjoyed a lot is their stir-fried vegan Korean Glass Noodles called Japchae.
It is made from a sweet potato glass Noodle, which is one of my favorite Korean side dishes since it is flavorful yet not spicy. This dish is served on special occasions including birthdays, holidays, or wedding parties. Because I love this dish, I will be showing my vegan Japchae Korean glass noodles recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
The recipe ingredients of this vegan Japchae recipe do not contain any meat contents since this is a vegan-friendly dish. Also, this recipe is simple to make.
CELLOPHANE NOODLES: This is a transparent glass noodle that is made from potato starch and water. It is similar to Chinese Rice Vermicelli, but this is a Korean glass noodle, which is found in most Asian stores.
VEGETABLES: The common vegetables I use for this dish includes Cabbage, Carrots, Spring Onion and Shitake Mushroom.
SEASONING SAUCE: 3 sauces I use to season my Korean glass noodles are soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. It gives a nice saltiness, sweetness, and a sesame taste to the noodle.
HERBS & SPICES: The rest of the ingredients I used are chopped garlic & red onion, sesame seeds and vegetable oil for stir frying the noodle.
What do you serve this recipe with?
In most Korean households and other Korean restaurants I tried, you will notice that this sweet potato glass noodle is served with other side dishes.
To me, I like to serve it with my Spicy Korean beef stir fry and Kimchi fried rice. Furthermore, other side dishes that go well include pickle kimchi, sweet potatoes, steamed egg, and stir-fried bean sprouts.
Cooking Instruction
The step to cook my vegan japchae is quite easy since it you only need to boil the sweet potato glass noodle and stir fry the vegetables.
Firstly, mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and the sesame seeds in a small bowl for later use. Next, pour water in a separate pot and wait for it started to boil. When the water is boiling, add the cellophane noodles and let it simmer for 6 to 7 minutes.
Once the noodle is soft, transfer into a colander to drain the water. Rinse the noodle in cold water and leave it there while you will start cooking the vegetables. Make sure you cut the noodle using scissors since this will help stir the noodle easier.
Once you are done with the noodle, add vegetable oil in a separate pan. Add chopped garlic and onion, and stir for few minutes till it becomes cooked. Next, add the shitake mushroom and stir fry for another few minutes till it turns light brown.
After that, add the julienned carrots and spring onions. Stir to mix till the carrot becomes soft, and then add the chopped cabbage. Give a quick stir before adding the drained noodle. Lastly, add the sauce mixture into the pan while stirring the noodle. Stir one more time for few minutes before turning off the fire.
Recipe FAQS
You can add meat to this dish such as sliced beef or pork belly if you like. Although, I don’t put any pork in my dishes because I am a Muslim and I don’t eat pork.
They can be served either hot or cold which depends on your preference. However, in my experience, when I ate this vegan side dish in Korean restaurants, they usually serve it as a cold side dish.
To me, you can refrigerate up to 5 to 7 days. Normally, when you store in the refrigerator, it must not be more than 7 days to prevent bacterial growth. If you prefer a longer shelf life, you can keep it in the freezer for 2 months.
You can reheat this Korean noodle either through a microwave or through a skillet/pan. If heating through a skillet or pan, make sure you add a drop of sesame oil to help soften the noodle.
The post Vegan Japchae Recipe (Korean Glass Noodles) appeared first on The Odehlicious.
