Japchae Noodles

Life in quarantine has been spent by wasting too much time on Instagram. But during the endless scrolling, I've been enjoying the account of a young Korean-American chef who puts up quick videos on how to make simple Korean dishes (my Big Sista introduced me to his ig). He's wildly entertaining and it makes me want to make all the Korean food now. 

With a surplus of vegetables on hand, I thought the perfect dish to try one of his recipes is a favorite Korean noodle dish: Japchae. There were many times in college when I tried to make this dish but every time was met with utter failure. I was skeptical I could ever make this dish as good as grandma's.

Luckily, Chef Chris Cho's recipe was a winner and now I've gained confidence in my Japchae making. The recipe below has a range of measurements for the sauce but taste as you cook and adjust seasoning if you need it to be sweeter or saltier or more sesame-y.

Japchae Noodles adapted from Chef Chris Cho
Ingredients:
100 grams Korean glass noodles (dang myeon) 
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
4 oz mushrooms (any kind), sliced
1/2 cup cooked spinach
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 cup cabbage, sliced
salt
pepper

2 cloves garlic, grated
2.5-3 tbs soy sauce
1.5-2 tbs sesame oil
1-1.5 tbs sugar
roasted sesame seeds

Directions:
1. In a pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package, 6-8 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Over medium heat, add oil and stir-fry carrots, mushrooms, spinach, onion and cabbage. Cook until softened and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add in grated garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar to the pan. (Start with the lower measurement of these ingredients and add more if needed). Toss with cooked vegetables. Then add in noodles and mix together.
4. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Enjoy!