Super Simple One-Pan Japchae
Clean Out Your Fridge! Easy & Delicious Japchae Recipe
This is the Japchae recipe I demonstrated live on LF Mall. Introducing a super simple and speedy one-pan Japchae using ingredients you already have in your fridge! Register this as your go-to recipe for frequent delicious meals!
Main Ingredients
- Glass noodles (Dangmyeon) for 3-4 servings
- 1/3 Carrot
- 50g Cocktail shrimp
- A little Yellow bell pepper
- A little Red bell pepper
- 1/2 bunch Green onions (Scallions)
- 30g Dried wood ear mushrooms
- 3 Dried shiitake mushrooms
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash and peel the carrot, then slice it thinly into julienne strips. Thinly sliced carrots taste better.
Step 2
Julienne the yellow and red bell peppers similarly. Briefly blanch the cocktail shrimp in boiling water for about 1 minute to remove any fishy smell and enhance color. Rinse with cold water and drain. Cut the green onions into pieces about one finger-length long. Soak the dried wood ear mushrooms in lukewarm water for about 20-30 minutes until fully rehydrated. Once softened, trim off the tough, woody ends, rinse thoroughly under running water to remove any debris, and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Remove the stems from the dried shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice the caps. (Tip: Don’t limit yourself to specific vegetables; feel free to use various ingredients from your fridge! Using colorful vegetables makes the dish visually appealing. You can also add seasoned meat like beef or pork, or other seafood for an even richer flavor!)
Step 3
Now, let’s start stir-frying. Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry until fragrant. Then, add the bell peppers and sauté until they are slightly softened. Season lightly with salt. (Tip: Using medium heat instead of high heat prevents burning and preserves the natural flavors of the ingredients.)
Step 4
To the pan with the sautéed mushrooms and peppers, add the wood ear mushrooms, blanched cocktail shrimp, and green onions. Stir-fry everything together. While the order of adding ingredients isn’t strictly fixed, it’s best to add ingredients that take longer to cook first. For example, carrots should be sautéed before ingredients like shrimp or bell peppers that cook quickly. However, at this stage, it’s fine to add all ingredients together.
Step 5
Once the ingredients are mixed, add the minced garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 6
Drizzle the cooking wine (like Mirin) around the edges of the pan to enhance the flavor. The cooking wine helps remove any unwanted odors and adds umami.
Step 7
Continue stir-frying over medium heat, ensuring all ingredients are well combined. The cocktail shrimp are already blanched, and the other vegetables only need to be cooked briefly to retain a slight crispness. Sauté just until the vegetables are slightly wilted.
Step 8
Temporarily transfer the stir-fried ingredients to a separate large bowl. This step helps prevent the vegetables from becoming mushy when stir-frying the noodles.
Step 9
Now, it’s time to cook the glass noodles. You don’t need to wash the pan used for stir-frying the vegetables; you can use it as is. Pour 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 3 teaspoons of sugar into the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat to create the sauce.
Step 10
Once the sauce is boiling, add the rehydrated glass noodles and cook until they are tender but still have a slight chew. Avoid overcooking them.
Step 11
As the noodles cook, they will absorb the sauce, and the liquid will naturally reduce. Now, add all the stir-fried vegetables and shrimp back into the pan. Stir-fry everything together, ensuring the noodles are evenly coated with the sauce and mixed with the other ingredients.
Step 12
Finally, taste the Japchae and adjust the seasoning with additional sugar or soy sauce if needed, according to your preference. It’s important to season it to your liking.
Step 13
Just before turning off the heat, drizzle in a generous amount of sesame oil for a rich, nutty aroma.
Step 14
Finish by sprinkling a generous amount of sesame seeds over the top. Sesame seeds add a wonderful finishing touch and enhance the overall flavor.
Step 15
Voila! Your super simple, super speedy, one-pan Japchae is ready. Start by following this recipe, and soon you’ll develop your own unique techniques. Japchae is surprisingly less complicated than it seems, so don’t hesitate to make it often and enjoy it with your loved ones!
