Korean Sweet Potato Noodles | Japchae (잡채)

Baby sister used to scream that she hated japchae but guess what? She's decided that she likes mine. It all comes down to the fact that I do not use rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms in my recipe. To be honest, I don't much care for the taste of dried shiitakes but I can get past the funky flavor to embrace my love of noodles. However, I think it tastes much better without them.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons oil

½ onion, sliced
½ carrot, julienned
1 serrano pepper, sliced
6 oz. oyster mushrooms
handful baby kale
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Start by getting a big pot of water on to boil and cook the noodles until tender.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium and pour in a little oil.

Add in the onions, carrot, and hot pepper and saute until the onions are soft.

While the vegetables are going and the noodles are boiling, make the sauce. Combine soy sauce, minced garlic, brown sugar, and sesame oil.

When the noodles are done, drain them and add them to the skillet. Pour over the sauce and the baby kale and toss to combine all of the ingredients together.

The last step is to toss in some sesame seeds.

Pile into a big bowl and serve.

The glass noodles are chewy and all of the vegetables and the sweet and savory sauce are so good. The wilted kale adds so much substance and color too. I love that this can be a side dish (banchan) or a meal on its own.

Here's the recipe page: