Japchae (Stir-Fried Korean Glass Noodles)

INGREDIENTS FOR JAPCHAE

For this Korean Glass Noodles (Japchae / Chapchae) recipe, I kept this recipe simple with the essentials:

• Carrots
• Onions
• Peppers
• Spinach
• Green Onions 

Although these are not traditional ingredients, you can definitely add a extra ingredients to spice it up as well! A few ideas to get you started

• Egg – Plain omelet cut into thin ribbons, or if you’re pressed for time, quickly scramble the egg and set it aside to add at the end when you are mixing the noodles
• Shiitake Mushrooms – I like to cook these ahead of time in a sweet soy sauce, and then cut them into thin slices
• Meat – This is not a traditional ingredient, but I have added in leftover meats in the past for a heartier noodle dish.
• Zucchini –  Cut these into thin ribbons and mix it right in!
• Garlic – Adds a bit of extra flavor, but I like to keep this optional because it can overpower the dish.
• Try not to overdo it with too many vegetables, the chewy noodles are the star of japchae

WHAT ARE SWEET POTATO NOODLES

20 years ago, it was a lot harder to find a Korean supermarket than it is today. I would look high and low for these noodles in Chinese supermarkets with no avail. At the time, I didn’t even know how the noodles would look raw, let alone the name of the noodles so I based it all on how I ‘thought’ it would look raw.

Nowadays, these noodles can be found easily in any Asian supermarket. They are called ‘Sweet Potato Noodles’ on the packaging. They are grayish in colour and about 2 mm thick in diameter.

These are always a hit at potlucks and parties, I have never met a person who didn’t love these Korean Glass Noodles (Japchae / ChapChae) 🙂 but if you are preparing this ahead of time (or have leftovers) you will eventually have to put it in the fridge. Once you put these noodles in the fridge, the starch in the noodles will harden from the cold so you can’t serve them straight from the fridge and will require some re-heating. Re-heat it in the microwave a few minutes at a time (mixing in between). By using small time intervals, it will prevent the noodles from getting too hot which can melt it into a small goopy solid mound of noodles 🙂

LOOKING FOR MORE KOREAN RECIPES? TRY THESE!

• Korean Corn Cheese (Elote Style)
• Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi
• Spicy Kimchi Tofu Stew (Kimchi Jjigae)
• Stir-Fried Kimchi Rice Cakes

DID YOU MAKE THIS JAPCHAE RECIPE?

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5 from 24 votes

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Chewy Korean Glass Noodles (Japchae / ChapChae)

A springy & chewy Korean glass noodle stir fry recipe (Japchae / ChapChae) seasoned lightly with sweet soy sauce, sesame oil and a variety of vegetables. Always a hit at potlucks and parties and very simple to make.

Course Appetizer, Side

Cuisine Korean

Keyword chapchae recipe, glass noodle recipe, japchae recipe, korean glass noodle recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 183kcal

Author Joyce | Pups with Chopsticks

Ingredients

• 400 g sweet potato noodles

Sweet Soy Sauce Mixture

• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

Vegetables

• 1-2 carrots (cut into matchstick slivers, approximately 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 bundle spinach (approximately 1 cup after it has been cooked and wilted)
• 1-2 peppers (sliced into thin strips, approximately 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 onion (medium-sized, sliced, approximately 1 cup)

Toppings & Garnishes

• 2 stalks green onion (finely chopped)
• toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Preparation

• In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the Sweet Soy Sauce mixture and set aside. Make sure you mix the hot water with the sugar first so it can dissolve it.
• Peel the carrot and cut them into thin matchstick sizes. Set aside.
• Slice the onions and peppers. Set aside
• Boil the spinach for 2 mins. Once it is done, run it under cold water to stop the cooking process and squeeze and squeeze all the water out. The texture should be dry and not soggy. Set aside. Optional: Season it with a little salt.
• Toast sesame seeds in a frying pan on low heat until brown. Set aside.

Soaking the Noodles

• In a large bowl, add hot water (tap or kettle boiled). Add noodles in for 20 mins to soak. [If you are using kettle boiled water, let it cool for 5-10 mins before soaking].
• After 20 mins, when the noodles are soft, cut them roughly 4 inches long and sprinkle some (sesame) oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

Putting it Together

• In a large non-stick frying pan, add oil and adjust the heat to medium to medium low.
• Once the oil has warmed up, add in the veggies (except the green onions) and cook them for approximately 5 mins
• When the vegetables are cooked, remove the vegetables from the frying pan and put it aside.
• Add a little more oil and wait until it is up to temperature again
• Add the noodles and half the soy sauce mixture and cook for about 2-3 mins. Keep flipping the noodles, until they are transparent and glossy and no longer translucent.
• When the noodles are almost done, add the vegetables back in and add in the remainder of the soy sauce mixture and cook for another 1-2 mins.
• Turn off the heat and add in the green onions and sesame seeds and mix well. (It's easier to mix it with your hands when the ingredients have cooled down a bit.)
• Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 1246mg | Sugar: 7g

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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