Jjajangmyeon-Style Jjajaroni: Authentic Black Bean Noodles at Home
Elevate Your Instant Jjajaroni to Taste Like Real Jjajangmyeon
Craving something delicious for a weekend lunch? This recipe shows you how to transform store-bought Jjajaroni into an authentic-tasting Jjajangmyeon, packed with rich flavors from spam and onions.
Key Ingredients
- Jjajaroni noodles (3 packs)
- Spam (1/2 can, approx. 200g)
- Onion (1/2 medium)
- Black bean paste powder (additional, 1 Tbsp)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the onions and spam to enhance the dish’s flavor. Dice the onions into relatively large pieces, about 0.5-1cm thick, for a pleasant texture. (Tip: While I chopped them very finely before, slightly larger pieces work well too!) Dice the spam into similar-sized cubes.
Step 2
Before cooking, get your Jjajaroni noodles and black bean powder seasoning ready. Open the Jjajaroni packages, separate the noodles from the powder seasoning, and set them aside.
Step 3
Now, it’s time to cook the noodles. In a generous amount of boiling water, add the Jjajaroni noodles along with the flake soup (not the powder seasoning) and boil for about 3 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Step 4
When the noodles are almost fully cooked, reserve about 5 ladlefuls (approximately 250ml) of the noodle water before draining. This reserved water is crucial for adjusting the sauce consistency later. Drain the noodles in a colander and set them aside.
Step 5
Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium heat. Add the diced onions and spam and stir-fry until the onions become translucent and the spam releases some of its fat. Reduce the heat to low, add the drained noodles, and stir-fry them together with the onion and spam.
Step 6
Now, add the black bean powder seasoning that comes with the Jjajaroni. Stir-fry to ensure the noodles and ingredients are evenly coated with the sauce. Mix thoroughly so the seasoning coats every strand of noodle.
Step 7
At this point, if you’ve used a generous amount of onions and spam, the original black bean sauce might seem insufficient. To compensate, add an extra tablespoon of black bean powder and stir-fry it in. Make sure to break up any clumps of the added powder as you stir.
Step 8
Finally, gradually add the reserved noodle water, a little at a time, to achieve your desired sauce consistency. If you run out of noodle water, you can add a bit of regular water. Stir-fry until all ingredients are well combined with the sauce and have a glossy finish. Your delicious Jjajaroni is ready to be enjoyed hot!
