Japchae / 잡채

Step 1

Soften up the vermicelli noodles and the mushrooms by soaking them in water. If you are using cold water to soak the noodles, estimate about 1 hour. If you don’t have the time, use warm water instead. After you are done soaking them, drain out the water using a colander.

Step 2

While you are soaking the noodles and the mushrooms, prepare the beef! In a bowl, add the beef, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1tsbp minced garlic, 1tbsp sesame oil, a pinch of black pepper, sesame seeds, and let it rest for about 10 minutes. If you used shiitake mushrooms instead of the wood ears, marinate them as well.

Step 3

Next, let’s prepare the spinach. In a boiling pot of water, add 1 tbsp of salt and then blanch the spinach for about 30 seconds. When finished, rinse the spinach in cold water then squeeze out the water. Season it with 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1tbsp minced garlic, and 1 tbsp sesame seeds.

Step 4

Slice the ingredients thin then stir-fry them separately on high heat in the following order: Egg white, egg yolk, onion, carrot, and then beef. (If you are using shiitake mushroom, stir fry it with the beef) And finally, stir fry the noodles with 1 tbsp water, 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce, and ½ tbsp sugar.

Step 5

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients together with 1 tbsp sesame oil.