Jabchae

잡채

(Stir-Fried Glass Noodles with Vegetables and Beef)

Jabchae, meaning “mixture of vegetables,” is typically served during festivities such as birthdays and weddings. The original jabchae recipe did not include meat or noodles. Only when glass noodles were introduced in Korea did the recipe turn into what we know as the jabchae today. In the drama, Full House,3 Ji Eun asks Young Jae’s grandmother to teach her how to make jabchae for a visiting friend.

3 Full House, directed by Min Soo Pyo, written by Hyo Jung Min, starring Hye Kyo Song and Rain (2004; Seoul: KBS), Netflix.

MAIN INGREDIENTs

• 180 grams glass noodles
• 1/3 piece carrot
• 1/2 piece onion
• a little salt
• 60 grams Korean chives
• 5 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms
• 100 grams beef
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

ALL SORTS OF SEASONINGS

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• a little black pepper

Mixed Seasonings Sauce

• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

HOW TO Prepare

1. Soak glass noodles in hot water until they soften. Drain.
2. Cut the noodles shorter.
3. Slice carrot and onion into thin strips and season each separately with a little salt for 10 minutes. Pat both dry with a paper towel.
4. Cut Korean chives into 2-inch long pieces.
5. Clean shiitake mushrooms and soak in hot water until tender. Cut off stems. Slice into thin strips, then season with half of All Sorts of Seasonings mixture.
6. Wipe beef dry with paper towel and cut into thin strips. Marinate it with the remaining half of All Sorts of Seasonings.
7. Mix all ingredients for Mixed Seasonings Sauce.

How To Cook

1. Beat egg slightly, then pan-fry. Slice into thin strips after.
2. Oil and stir-fry each of the main ingredient separately until half-cooked.
3. Heat a wok and stir-fry the noodles with half of Mixed Seasonings Sauce. Cook until sauce is absorbed by the noodles and is clear.
4. Add in all the prepared ingredients and adjust taste with the remaining half of Mixed Seasonings Sauce. Stir-fry for a few more minutes.
5. Turn heat off, add in chives and egg, then mix well.
6. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.

Chef’s Notes

1. Beef and mushrooms are considered to belong in the same category; hence, they have the same marinade seasoning.
2. Salted vegetables cook softer and faster.
3. So you don’t have to keep washing the pan, start with sautéing the onion first, followed by the carrot, then the mushrooms, and lastly, the beef.
4. The residual heat of the noodles will cook the chives.
5. You can make a big batch of the sauce and just keep in bottles and refrigerate. It can be kept for a long time. Just shake the bottles well before you use the sauce.
6. Serving this dish in big festivals require effort because the ingredients are complicated to prepare. However, this recipe is easy to follow as it is simplified and the ingredients are in small amounts only.

 

This Dish Appears in the Following Korean Drama/s:

• Full House (2004) - KBS
• Let’s Eat: Season 2 (2015) - TVN
• Boys Over Flowers (2009) - KBS

   

 

CHEF REGGIE’S TIPS

SUBSTITUTE

• Use 250 grams pasta, cooked al dente, instead of glass noodles. Spaghetti, linguine, and angel hair pastas work—even egg noodles or canton. Just follow the same procedure. But thicken sauce with cornstarch slurry to coat the noodles.

ADD-ONS

• I like using different mushrooms—not just shiitake. A mixture of shimeji, shiitake, and king mushrooms is good for this recipe.