Japchae is gaining popularity in America but still isn’t as beginner-friendly as kalbi and rice. I have a suspicion that glass noodles, even just the name, can be too unfamiliar if you’re not used to it. Trust me though, that this is something worth trying, both eating and making. Nothing will make you feel more victorious when you finally put all these colors of the rainbow together and chew down salty-sweet goodness that many of us know and love.

Japchae 잡채 Glass Noodles

Ingredients
About 6 servings as a side

1 package (12 oz.) sweet potato noodles
2 large Carrots
7 green onions
1 bunch of Spinach
1 oz. dried shiitake mushrooms
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves
4 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP sesame oil
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP vegetable oil
sesame seeds for garnish

Steps
1. Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl, and pour boiling water over it. Let it sit for 20 minutes, until softened. Blanch the spinach in hot water for about a minute, then drain and stop the cooking by pouring cold water on it. Squeeze out the liquid, cut into small chunks and set aside.

2. Rough julienne cut the carrots. After cutting off the roots, cut the green onions into thirds, including the white part. Mince the garlic cloves. In a medium heat pan, saute the carrots with half of the vegetable oil. After 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender, add the green onion and garlic. Season with salt and continue to saute for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. Drain and squeeze the liquid of the mushrooms. Cut into strips. Saute in a medium pan with the other half of vegetable oil. Let the mushroom pieces brown for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan.

4. Whisk the 2 eggs in a bowl, then pour into a low heat pan. Spread the egg around to it fills the pan, and cook on both sides. Remove from pan and cut into strips.

5. Boil the sweet potato noodles for about 5-7 minutes, then remove and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Cut the noodles into shorter pieces.

6. On low heat, add the noodles into the pan the vegetables sauteed in. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar, and evenly incorporate. Add all of the vegetables and egg strips. Stir until evenly incorporated. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve warm, or at room temperature.