Japchae / 잡채

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With plenty of noodles and variety of ingredients, Japchae is considered a prime menu that makes your holiday dining table full and colorful. Fun to make, fun to share! Let’s learn how to make it.   Ingredients (Serving size: 4) 1 lb. Vermicelli noodles ¾ lb. of beef strips 2 cups spinach, 1 cup carrot, 1 cup onion, 2 eggs, ½ cup wood ears (you can also use shiitake or oyster mushrooms) cooking oil, sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, salt & pepper   1. Soften up the vermicelli noodles and the mushrooms by soaking them in water. If you are using cold water to soak the noodles, estimate about 1 hour. If you don’t have the time, use warm water instead. After you are done soaking them, drain out the water using a colander.   2. While you are soaking the noodles and the mushrooms, prepare the beef! In a bowl, add the beef, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1tsbp minced garlic, 1tbsp sesame oil, a pinch of black pepper, sesame seeds, and let it rest for about 10 minutes. If you used shiitake mushrooms instead of the wood ears, marinate them as well.   3. Next, let’s prepare the spinach. In a boiling pot of water, add 1 tbsp of salt and then blanch the spinach for about 30 seconds. When finished, rinse the spinach in cold water then squeeze out the water. Season it with  1 tbsp sesame oil, 1tbsp minced garlic, and 1 tbsp sesame seeds.   4. Slice the ingredients thin then stir-fry them separately on high heat in the following order: Egg white, egg yolk, onion, carrot, and then beef. (If you are using shiitake mushroom, stir fry it with the beef) And finally, stir fry the noodles with 1 tbsp water, 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce, and ½ tbsp sugar.   5. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients together with 1 tbsp sesame oil.   6. Plate the japchae then garnish with some sesame seeds! Since japchae is usually made in generous portions, you can store the leftovers in the refrigerator and then stir fry them again later. Japchae is a dish that everyone can love, so give it a try today!