Korean Glass Noodles Stir Fry (Japchae) 🇰🇷

Made from sweet potato starch, Korean glass noodles or 'dangmyeon' become translucent when cooked, bouncy and delightfully chewy.  They are a perfect companion for stir fried meat and vegetables in this colourful and tasty 'Japchae', a celebration dish for birthdays and New Year.  I understand the Koreans cook and marinate each ingredient individually and then mix them all up with the noodles in a large bowl to serve.  I choose to fry the vegetables all together in a wok starting with the onions that take a while to cook down, then the carrots as they need to be softened a little.  Other vegetables that require less cooking time are added in sequence, ending with baby spinach, which only takes seconds to wilt.  This way, the colour and texture of each vegetable is retained.  Only the meat is cooked separately.  The noodles finish up in the wok and the dish is ready after they have been tossed around to combine with all the ingredients and the sauce.  Serve warm or in room temperature.

Serve 2-3 as a meal

INGREDIENTS

• 140g / 5oz Korean glass noodles
• 1 egg, beaten
• 160g / 5½oz chicken thigh meat
• 6 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds, plus extra for garnishing
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 small onion, about 110g / 4oz, thinly sliced
• 1 small carrot, about 80g / 2¾oz, sliced thinly into matchsticks
• 80g / 2¾oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2-3 dried Shiitake mushrooms, about 10g / ⅓oz
• 2 spring onions, sliced into into 5cm / 2" lengths, separate white parts from green parts
• 100g / 3½ oz baby spinach
• vegetable or olive oil

METHOD

1. Toast sesame seeds in a small saucepan over low heat for a minute or so to release their flavour.  Remove from heat to cool.
2. Slice chicken meat across the grain into thin strips.  Set aside in a bowl.
3. Soak Shiitake mushrooms in ½ cup warm water for about 30 minutes until soft.  Squeeze out excessive water from the mushrooms by hand.  Trim off the stems and sliced.  Place mushrooms in a bowl.  Reserve the mushroom water. 
4. In another bowl, prepare the sauce by combining the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds and pepper.  Stir to dissolve the sugar.  Add 1 tablespoon of the sauce to marinate the sliced chicken, 2 teaspoons to marinate the Shiitake mushrooms.
5. Make an omelette with the beaten egg by frying it in a wok with 1 teaspoon oil over medium low heat.  Flip it over when it is nearly set to cook the other side.  Remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool.  Slice the omelette thinly into strips for garnishing.
6. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and add the noodles.  Bring it back to a boil and let it cook in the boiling water for about 5 minutes until translucent.  Drain and rinse under cold tap water in a colander.  
7. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok over high heat until hot.  Add chicken and spread them out into a single layer.  Let them fry undisturbed and caramelised on one side for 30 seconds before tossing the pieces around to cook through.  Remove from the wok and set aside.
8. Heat another tablespoon oil in the wok over medium high heat.  Stir fry the onions for 1 minute.  Add the carrots and stir fry with the onions for another minute until slightly softened.  Add the white parts of the spring onions, followed by the fresh mushrooms, the Shiitake mushrooms, and 2 tablespoons of the mushroom water.  Continue to stir fry for 1-2 minutes, tossing and turning as each new ingredient is added to the wok.  Finally, add the green parts of the spring onions and the spinach. 
9. Return the cooked chicken to the wok. 
10. Transfer noodles to the wok and add the remaining sauce.  With a pair of tongs or chopsticks, toss the noodles around to combine with the meat, vegetables and sauce.  Remove from heat.  
11. Serve up the noodles on a large platter. Garnish with extra sesame seeds and strips of omelette on top.