Chapchae (korean glass noodles stir fry)
Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients and the seemingly complex instructions – this stir fry is simple enough to put together.
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 marinated the beef overnight in the fridge
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.
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.