Vegan Japchae (Korean Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Noodles with Vegetables)

Ingredients

Contains soy, sesame, gluten. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Method

1. 1

   Place the dried shiitake in a bowl and pour in enough warm water to cover; set aside to rehydrate.

   30 min
2. 2

   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.

3. 3

   Add the dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles) to the boiling water and cook until pliable but still a little chewy, about 6–8 minutes.

   8 min
4. 4

   Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse under cold water until cool, and gently shake off excess; if the noodles are very long, cut them once or twice with kitchen shears.

5. 5

   Using the same pot of boiling water, blanch the spinach for 30 seconds, then immediately transfer it to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.

   1 min
6. 6

   Squeeze the spinach firmly to remove excess water, roughly chop it, and set aside.

7. 7

   Drain the rehydrated shiitake, reserving about 30 ml of the soaking liquid; squeeze the mushrooms and thinly slice them.

8. 8

   In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, 20 ml sesame oil, the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and the minced garlic to make the sauce.

9. 9

   Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil; add the sliced onion and stir-fry until softened and translucent.

   5 min
10. 10

    Transfer the cooked onion to a large bowl and set aside.

11. 11

    Add another 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the skillet, add the julienned carrot, and stir-fry until just tender-crisp.

    4 min
12. 12

    Transfer the carrot to the bowl with the onion.

13. 13

    Add the sliced shiitake to the skillet and stir-fry until they release their moisture and start to brown.

    5 min
14. 14

    Transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the other cooked vegetables.

15. 15

    Briefly stir-fry the white parts of the scallions in the hot skillet for about 1 minute.

    1 min
16. 16

    Remove the scallion whites to the bowl with the other vegetables.

17. 17

    Add the drained noodles to the hot skillet, pour the prepared sauce over them, and toss constantly so the noodles absorb the sauce and become glossy.

    3 min
18. 18

    Return all the cooked vegetables and the chopped spinach to the skillet with the noodles, add the green parts of the scallions, toss to combine and warm through, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

    2 min
19. 19

    Turn off the heat, drizzle the remaining sesame oil over the japchae, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (and gochugaru, if using), toss once, and serve immediately.