Easy Japchae Recipe (Korean Glass Noodles Stir Fry)

5 from 73 votes

Easy Japchae Recipe (Korean Glass Noodles Stir Fry)

An easy japchae recipe (Korean glass noodles stir fry) seasoned lightly with sweet soy sauce, sesame oil, and a variety of vegetables and perfectly chewy bouncy glass noodle texture without boiling the noodles in water.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer, Main, Side

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: Servings

Calories: 332kcal

Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

400 g sweet potato noodles

Japchae Sauce

½ cup hot water
¼ cup sugar
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Vegetables

1-2 carrots (cut into matchstick slivers, approximately 1 ½ cups)
1 bundle spinach (approximately 1 cup after it has been cooked and wilted)
1-2 peppers (sliced into thin strips, approximately 1 ½ cups)
1 onion (medium-sized, sliced, approximately 1 cup)

Toppings & Garnishes

2 stalks green onion (finely chopped)
toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Preparing the Sweet Potato Glass Noodles and Vegetables

In a large bowl, add warm to hot tap water and soak the noodles in it for 20 mins. Prepare the vegetables while you are waiting for the noodles to soak.
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. Season it with salt and set it aside.
Alternatively, you can also skip boiling the spinach and put it directly in with the rest of the vegetables to save some time.
Toast sesame seeds in a frying pan on low heat until brown. Set aside.
Finely chop the green onions and set them aside for the end.
After 20 mins, when the noodles are soft and pliable, drain the water out and cut them roughly 4 inches in length. Set it aside for later.

Make the Japchae Sauce

In a small bowl, dissolve ¼ cup sugar with ½ cup hot water.
Then add in ½ cup soy sauce and 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Set it aside.

Cooking the Japchae

In a large non-stick frying pan, add oil and set the heat to medium.
Once the oil has warmed up, add in the veggies (except the green onions) and cook them for approximately 3-5 mins or until the vegetables are soft. Remove them from the pan into a dish and set it aside.
Add the noodles to the pan 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 might be easier to mix it with your hands)
Enjoy!

Notes

Reheating Leftovers - Once you put these glass noodles in the fridge, the noodles will get hard from the cold so you can't serve them straight from the fridge. Re-heat it in the microwave for one minute at a time, (for up to a few minutes) while mixing it with a utensil in between minutes to prevent cold spots. Mixing and using small time intervals, will prevent the noodles from getting too hot too quickly which can melt its delicate texture springy texture.
Storing - You can store this in the fridge for up to a week.

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