Fried sweet potato noodles

Photographer: Kurt
2 – 3 servings

Here is my take on the traditional Korean noodle dish Japchae. It’s a beautifully light noodle dish with a wonderful sweet and salty flavour. The noodles are made from sweet potato starch which is a great alternative to the usually wheat or rice based noodle. The semi-transparent appearance and slightly chewy texture off the noodle make a great base for a multitude of toppings. Everything in the dish should be cooked separately before combining,  it takes a bit of preparation but persevere it’s well worth it in the end.

INGREDIENTS


150g thinly sliced beef
150g Japchae Noodles (Dangmyeon)
5 dried shiitake
1/2 onion sliced
1/2 carrot julienned
1/2 bunch spinach
1/2 chilli sliced finely (optional)

Beef marinade
150g thinly sliced beef
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Garlic finely chopped
1 tsp Sesame oil
Pepper to taste

Shiitake marinade
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Garlic finely chopped
1/2 tbsp Sugar

Sauce
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Pepper to taste

METHOD


1. Place the shitake mushrooms in a bowl of water, soak until soft, slice and place in the shitake marinade mixture.
2. Mix together the ingredients for the beef marinade and place the beef in the mixture, set aside.
3. In a large pan fry the onion, carrots and spinach in that order, season with pepper and salt, remove from pan and set aside.
4. Soak the noodles in boiling water for few minutes until the noodles are soft.
5. Remove the mushrooms from the marinade and fry then set aside.
6. Remove the beef from the marinade and fry then set aside.
7. Remove the noodles from the water and place into the same pan, add the beef and shitake and a little sesame oil, then fry on a medium heat for a couple of minutes.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the vegetables and sauce.
9. Place mixture on a serving plate, top with slices of chilli if you dare.