I got accepted at the UP College of Law after college graduation and only needed to submit a few documents for enrollment. Just across the Malcolm Hall (where the College of Law was located) was the UP Asian Center and there I saw a barely noticeable tarpaulin sign that advertised Korean language classes.
I was a big Kpop fan back then, so needless to say, instead of enrolling in law school, I enrolled in the language classes instead. ? One day, our sonsaengnim (teacher) brought chapchae to class and it was 너무 맛있어요 (delicious).
It’s been many years since the last time I took a Korean language class, and I’ve forgotten about 75% of what I had learned back then. But I’ll never forget the time when I had my first taste of chapchae.
What is chapchae?
Chapchae is a popular Korean noodle dish made with glass noodles, beef, and stir-fried vegetables. This dish is flavored with a sweet and salty sauce and sesame oil.
It was apparently a dish reserved for royalty, but nowadays, it’s a popular dish to bring for potlucks and such. It can be eaten as a banchan (side dish) or as a main dish and can even be served on top of rice!
Interestingly, the word “잠채” (chapchae) is a combination of its 2 syllables: 잠 (chap), which means “to mix” and 채 (chae), which means “vegetables”. So basically, it’s just mixed veggies.
There’s a misconception that chapchae is complicated to cook. Running your eyes over the recipe and its ingredients list would probably make you throw in the towel and opt to just run to the nearest Korean restaurant instead. But that shouldn’t necessarily be the case
As they say, preparation is key to success and that’s certainly the case for this recipe. Prepare the ingredients beforehand and take your time to slice the vegetables and the egg as thinly as possible. Putting them all together would be a cinch after that.
This recipe
I used copious amounts of the noodle sauce in this recipe, certainly much more than the amounts mentioned in the other recipes. The reason is pretty straightforward. I used half of the sauce to soak the boiled noodles in (to give it a chance to be absorbed thoroughly) and the remaining as a marinade and to pour over the noodles before assembling.
Chapchae (korean glass noodles stir fry)
Ingredients
For the Beef:
- 250 grams 1/4 kg beef, cut into long thin strips
- 2 tbsps soy sauce preferably Korean or Japanese
- 2 tbsps sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- a pinch of ground black pepper
For the Sauce:
- 160 ml 2/3 cup soy sauce, preferably Korean or Japanese
- 147 grams 2/3 cup sugar
- 60 ml 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 2 tsps minced garlic
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds roasted
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
For the Spinach:
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 bunch of spinach a handful
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- a pinch of ground black pepper
Other Ingredients:
- 500 grams Korean sweet potato noodles also known as Dangmyeon, glass noodles, or cellophane noodles
- 2 eggs large
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 medium sized yellow onion about 150 grams
- 4 stalks green onions cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium sized carrot about 150 grams
- 1/2 red bell pepper about 50 grams
- 8 shiitake mushrooms fresh
Instructions
For the Beef:
- In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and black pepper. Mix well to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the beef strips to the sauce. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.
For the Sauce:
- In a microwaveable bowl, mix all the ingredients.
- Microwave for 30 seconds on medium heat to warm the sauce.
- Whisk the sauce to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
For the Spinach:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt.
- Add the spinach and cook for about 10-15 seconds, until just about wilted.
- Remove the spinach and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Set aside the boiling water.
- Drain the cold water. Squeeze the excess water from the spinach and add the sesame oil, minced garlic, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
For the Other Ingredients:
- Noodles
- In the large pot of boiling water, add the noodles and cook for about 6-10 minutes, or until the noodles are soft but still chewy.
- Carefully drain the water away. Cut the noodles with kitchen shears about 3-5 times.
- Pour half of the sauce that was previously set aside over the noodles. Mix well to coat the noodles thoroughly. Cover and set aside.
Other Ingredients:
- Slice the mushrooms thinly. Marinate the mushrooms with 1 tbsp of the sauce and set aside.
- Slice the onions thinly and set aside.
- Slice the carrots to match sticks. Slice the bell pepper similarly.
- In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs and add the salt.
- Heat a tsp of sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pour the beaten eggs and swirl the pan to create a thin layer. Cook until the eggs are just set, about 2 minutes. Flip the eggs over and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the egg to a plate and let it cool
- In the same pan, heat a tsp of sesame oil over medium heat. Cook the onions until just translucent. Set aside in a plate.
- Repeat the previous step for the green onions, carrots, bell pepper, and mushrooms.
- In the same pan, add the beef and sauté until the marinade has evaporated. Set aside.
- Take the cooled egg omelette and roll it up. Cut into very thin ribbons and set aside.
To assemble:
- Add the stir fried beef and vegetables to the bowl of noodles.
- Add 3/4 of the egg omelette as well as the blanched spinach.
- Pour the remaining sauce over everything and mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Garnish with the remaining egg omelette and more sesame seeds before serving.
Video
Notes
I like to slice the ingredients quite thinly. It makes it easier to stir fry uniformly, and the ingredients get mixed up with the noodles well.
I cut up the spinach before adding to the noodles. The spinach clumps together but by cutting it up you get to separate them easier.
Chapchae Recipe – Easy, Low Calorie, and Gluten-Free Korean Noodle Dish
If you are looking for an easy, low-calorie and gluten-free dish, you have probably considered trying a Chapchae recipe. This traditional Korean noodle dish is both tasty and healthy. If you want to make it at home, this recipe will provide you with everything you need to create your own bowl of Korean goodness. Here are the ingredients you will need to make Chapchae: beef, sesame oil, brown sugar, cornstarch, and soy sauce.
Traditional Korean noodle dish
Japchae is a traditional Korean noodle dish that combines stir-fried vegetables and Korean glass noodles. It takes 16 minutes to prepare. Boiling water for the noodles is the first step, followed by cutting and rinsing them. Once the noodles are cooked, drizzle them with sesame oil and toss with sesame sauce. Add the scallions, sesame seeds, and sliced green onions, and serve immediately.
Easy to make
If you’re looking for a simple Korean noodle dish, you might want to try this easy to make Chapchae recipe. The glass noodles are cooked in a stir-fry style while stir-fried vegetables are added to the mix. The noodles are a quick and convenient dinner option, and you can enjoy this delicious dish any night of the week. Follow the recipe below to make this delicious and healthy dish in no time!
Low-calorie
If you’re looking for a Korean food recipe that’s lower in fat and calories, you’ve come to the right place. Chapchae, the nation’s most popular noodle dish, contains a minimal amount of fat and calories per serving. It also uses high-smoke point oils, so it won’t burn when stir-frying. Besides the vegetables, the dish also contains a healthy dose of mushrooms and onion.
Gluten-free
If you are avoiding gluten, try making a delicious, tasty version of this popular Korean dish. Known as “glass noodles,” these stir-fried Korean noodle dishes are made from sweet potato starch and water. If you are avoiding gluten, you can use soy sauce, which is naturally gluten-free. You may want to use tamari instead. This sauce does not contain gluten, but it will still add a flavorful kick to the dish.
With thinly sliced beef
A traditional Chapchae is a delicious Korean noodle dish, containing cellophane noodles, beef, and vegetables. Each serving has less than 400 calories and ten grams of fat. To make this delicious dish, you’ll need to first prepare the beef. Clean the pan using paper towels and add some vegetable oil. When it comes to vegetables, you can use red pepper, onions, mushrooms, spinach, and five garlic cloves. Once the beef is browned and sliced, you’ll want to add some more vegetables. Add your beef, mushrooms, onions, and spinach to the skillet and stir-fry until tender.
With sweet potato glass noodles
If you love Korean food, you may be curious to learn about Japchae, or Korean stir-fried vegetables. Made of sweet potato starch and water, this delicious dish is a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. This recipe is also great for potlucks and meal prep. It contains very few ingredients and is an excellent meal prep option. Plus, it is naturally gluten-free.
With sesame seeds
A delicious way to make this Korean staple is to add sesame seeds to the japchae sauce. Sesame seeds add an extra nutty flavor to the sauce. This recipe calls for half a pound of spinach. The spinach should be sliced julienne-style for best results. Add sliced scallions for sweetness and decorative value. To make the sauce, mix together dark and regular soy sauce with sugar and sesame oil.
