Japchae (Korean sweet‑potato glass noodles with beef)

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Add the sweet potato glass noodles and simmer, stirring occasionally, until just tender with a slight chew, 6–8 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold running water to stop cooking, then cut the long strands with kitchen scissors a few times to shorten them. Toss with 1 tsp sesame oil to stop sticking.

2. 2

   While the noodles cook, place the thinly sliced beef in a bowl and add 30 ml light soy sauce, 10 g golden caster sugar and half the garlic (1–2 cloves). Mix well, then leave to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Blanch the spinach in the boiling water for 30 seconds, then refresh in cold water. Squeeze out excess water very well (this is a critical step), roughly chop and toss with 10 ml light soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil. Set aside.

4. 4

   Heat 10 ml vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium‑high heat. Add the chestnut mushrooms and the remaining garlic, stir‑fry until golden and any liquid has evaporated, 3–4 minutes. Season with a little black pepper. Transfer to a plate.

5. 5

   Add another 10 ml vegetable oil to the pan, then stir‑fry the carrot matchsticks and brown onion over medium heat until just softened and a little caramelised, 3–4 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the mushrooms.

6. 6

   Turn the heat to high, add the remaining 10 ml vegetable oil and quickly stir‑fry the marinated beef until just browned but still tender, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

7. 7

   Reduce the heat to medium. Return noodles to the pan, add the reserved vegetables and beef, the remaining light soy sauce (use the rest of the 80 ml), the remaining golden caster sugar and the rest of the sesame oil. Toss everything together for 1–2 minutes until the sauce is glossy and evenly coating the noodles. Taste and add black pepper if needed.

8. 8

   Stir in the blanched spinach and spring onions, then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes so the flavours marry, then toss once more before serving.

Tips

• Slice the beef very thin across the grain for tenderness — chill it for 15 minutes first to make slicing easier.
• Rinse and chill the noodles right after boiling to stop them cooking and to retain a springy texture.
• Squeeze the spinach thoroughly (use kitchen paper or a clean tea towel) — excess water will make the japchae soggy.
• Cook ingredients separately and combine at the end for the best texture and colour.
• Make ahead: cook components and store separately in the fridge for up to 24 hours; toss together and warm briefly before serving.

Substitutions

• beef sirloin → firm tofu, pressed and sliced (use 200 g)

  Noticeably different

• sweet potato glass noodles → shirataki or kelp noodles (200–250 g), drained

  Noticeably different

• light soy sauce → tamari (same quantity) for a gluten‑free option

  Stays close

• chestnut mushrooms → dried shiitake rehydrated and sliced (use about 50 g dried)

  Stays close

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

559

Calories

20 g

Protein

68 g

Carbs

23 g

Fat

4 g

Fibre

10 g

Sugar

1200 mg

Sodium

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