Royal Foodie Joust: Vegetarian Japchae (Korean Noodle Dish)

posted by virtual chef on Jan 22, 2009 | Entrees |

Here’s my entry to the February Royal Food Joust hosted by The Leftover Queen/Foodie Blogroll Forum. The mystery ingredients for this month are: cauliflower, mushrooms and noodles. I thought of making a wonton noodle soup with cauliflower and mushroom filling since Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Or maybe this recipe I found for a Cauliflower and Mushroom casserole which I though would be a great experiment to try either a bottom or top noodle crust with parmesan (yum–I will probably still try this dish!). Then I remembered my ladies lunch with a very good friend Lisa, a lovely Korean girl who is one heck of a cook and another friend Sonia. Lisa made japchae that time. I watched her make it and it looked so simple. When I asked for the recipe, she just responded “Why do you need a recipe? You just watched me make it. After you taste it, you can make it at home!” Ooookay. I think my girlfriend might have some misplaced confidence in my cooking abilities. Eventually, she gave me the recipe (a little bit of this, a handful of that..you know how it is). I have made this noodle dish several times after that and and we just love it.

Typically, japchae is made with thinly sliced beef mixed with korean glass noodles made from sweet potato starch and a hodge podge of vegetables. I have not bothered to ask Lisa what japchae mean but I wouldn’t be surprised if it has something to do with “mixing any vegetable you have”. For this joust, I omitted the beef (thus the vegetarian title) and added cauliflower, shiitake mushrooms, carrots and spring onions. You can, of course, add whatever vegetables you have–kale, bokchoy, broccoli, etc). Or add chicken, shrimp or shredded turkey meat. So here’s my take on japchae, as I remember my friend Lisa making it. Have fun with it!

Ingredients:

1/2 package Korean glass noodles or dangmeyeon (any glass noodles will do such as vermicelli or rice noodles. I used approx 80 grams of vermicelli in this recipe)
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, cut into small pieces (if using dried mushroom, make sure you rehydrate by soaking in enough water until soft)
1 cup cauliflower florets, blanched in salted water
2 stalks spring onions, sliced diagonally (that’s just for cosmetic purposes. You can chop the spring onions any way you want!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs vegetable oil for sauteeing
some sesame oil for flavor
salt to taste

For the sauce, mix the following in a bowl and set aside.

1/2 cup water
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp sesame seeds (ground if possible)
2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional–we like our dishes spicy so we often add crushed red pepper)

Directions:

Cook the noodles as directed in the package. I usually soak my glass noodles in hot water for about 30 minutes until soft or al dente. If using Korean glass noodles, prepare as directed in the package. If using vermicelli, just soaking in hot water will do the trick. Drain and set aside in a bowl.
In a hot wok or saute pan, heat oil (vegetable oil or sesame oil). Add the carrots and cauliflower and stir fry until light brown.
Add the spring onions, mushrooms and garlic. Continue stirring and add 2 tbs of the sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Take cooked vegetables and mix with the glass noodles on the separate bowl. Cut the noodles into smaller lengths using kitchen scissors before mixing. Makes it easier to eat! Add the sauce and mix. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and some drops of sesame oil.
Serve warm.

I usually make a big portion and keep the rest in the refrigerator. They heat up well in the microwave the next day.

Notes: If you are making this with beef, take some of the sauce and marinade the beef with it for an hour. You can also rehydrate the dried mushrooms with the same sauce before sauteeing. You can also add as much vegetables as you want. The measurements indicated here are what I have in my refrigerator! If you want to have more carrots or cauliflower or even want to use button mushrooms, feel free to do so. The sauce can be doubled and adjusted to your taste.