K-pop, Korean dramas and Korean skincare are THE craze right now. I don’t go a day scrolling through my social media feed OR NETFLIX without seeing something from the Korean culture, which is Ah-mazing! While I love all of the above, I also love the Korean cuisine and I am sure most of you do too … for its kimchi, bulgogi, bibimbap, tteokbokki, ban chan, FRIED CHICKEN (among many others) and the different levels of spice offered for most dishes. When I’m craving something on the healthier side, however, I like to order vegetable japchae, which is a stir-fried dish served as an appetizer or entrée, made with sweet potato starch noodles. It’s actually very simple to put together yourself at home and makes a great one-pan dish for large gatherings!
Sweet Potato Starch Noodles
What are sweet potato starch noodles, you ask? They are a type of cellophane noodle made from sweet potato starch that becomes translucent and glass-like upon cooking. These types of noodles are often referred to as “glass” noodles for this reason. The texture of sweet potato starch noodles are chewy, slippery and very elastic, part of the reason why japchae has become so popular. What also makes this noodle so appealing is that they’re typically fat free, gluten free and low in calorie (depending on which type and brand you select, of course). What’s not to love?
Ingredients Used
To make this healthy, stir-fried noodle dish, I am using a mixture of dried and fresh vegetables, including dried shiitake mushrooms that I’ve rehydrated, carrots, scallions, onions, bell peppers and spinach. Feel free to get creative and add other ingredients of choice, including protein! Japchae is commonly served with beef, but I can see this dish working with tofu, chicken, pork or even seafood.
For additional contrast, I like to use different bell pepper colors (ie: red with yellow, as pictured above, red with green (hello, Christmas!), orange with yellow … you get the gist). Similarly, I like to garnish the final plate with extra sesame seeds, not only to serve as decoration but also added aroma and nutty flavors that pair so well with japchae.
If you tried my recipe, please leave your feedback below and/or post a pic on social media and tag me @rackoflam and #rackoflam! Also check out the recipe video below and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more content! ENJOY!
Vegetable Japchae Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 6-8 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 medium onion cut into strips
- 1½-2 bell peppers cut into strips
- 1 medium carrot julienned
- 2 stalks scallion cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1 large handful of spinach
- 8 oz sweet potato starch noodles
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 5 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Soak shiitake mushrooms in hot water until softened. Squeeze all the water out, then cut into strips and set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Blanch the spinach then quickly remove from the boiling water. When cool enough to handle, squeeze all the water out, then cut them into smaller pieces and set aside.
- Using the same water, boil the sweet potato starch noodles according to package instructions. Immediately rinse them under cold water, then drain and set aside.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined.
- Heat neutral oil in a large nonstick wok or pan over medium high heat, swirling to coat evenly. Add onions and stir for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots and scallions and stir for another minute or two, or until cooked to your liking, then add the spinach and give all the ingredients a brief stir.
- Add the sauce mixture, immediately followed by the cooked sweet potato starch noodles and mix until coated with the sauce. Serve and top with extra sesame seeds. Enjoy!
