Japchae With Beef Bulgogi (Korean stir fried beef noodles with vegetables)

My family and I loves Korean dishes very much ~ can't blame us as we use to operate a Korean BBQ restaurant many many years ago.   During those days, even after we have stopped operating the business, our family still get together to have this Korean style BBQ together. 

On my last visit to Auckland, sometimes when we're lazy to cook, we will have take away.  Every Saturday, there is a "night market" available in a basement parking lot in one of the shopping mall.  Many varieties of food stalls to choose from ~ western, chinese, korean, japanese, indian, etc. etc.   On my first visit there, I just couldn't make up my mind what to have, everything seem to be so delicious; can't blame me as the weather is cold and you will get hungry all the time and when you see food around you, everything seem to be delicious too.   And finally I chose the Korean stall and select the Japchae Beef Bulgogi. 

And now back home, I have missed this dish so much and I just got to try this at home.

JAPCHAE WITH BEEF BULGOGI

BEEF BULGOGI
Recipe sourced from trifood.com 

Ingredients

200g thinly sliced beef (sirloin or rib eye)

2 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1/8 tsp salt

2 tbsp Mirin

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

Mix all ingredients except carrots. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Stir fry the beef until just well done and caramelized on the outside.

Dish up and set aside.

JAPCHAE (Korean Glass Noodles)

Recipe sourced from Steamy Kitchen with changes

(Below portion serves for 1-2 person)

Ingredients

50-70g dried Korean sweet potato noodles
½ tbsp cooking oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions (I used leeks)
1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 stalks green onions, cut into 1″ lengths
¼  cup mushrooms or wood ear, thinly sliced
80-100g spinach, washed well and drained (I didn’t add this)

Method

Fill a large pot with water and boil. When water is boiling, add the noodles and cook for 5-10 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again and toss with only 1 tsp of the sesame oil. Use kitchen shears to cut noodles into shorter pieces, about 8 inches in length. Set aside.

Add the cooking oil in a wok or large saute pan on high heat and swirl to coat. When the cooking oil is hot but not smoking, fry onions and carrots, until just softened, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, green onions and mushrooms, fry 30 seconds. Then add the spinach and noodles and ry 2-3 minutes until the noodles are cooked through.  Then add in the beef bulgogi and stir well till all are combined and absorsed in the sauce.

Turn off heat,  toss with sesame seeds and drizzle some sesame oil if preferred.

                                Korean Glass Noodles or Korean Sweet Potato Noodles