Million Mushroom Japchae Recipe
Chewy and Delicious Million Mushroom Japchae
Here’s a recipe for Japchae made with abundant million mushrooms (also known as mankagdaq mushrooms), which offer a wonderfully chewy texture and rich mouthfeel, a delightful alternative to regular mushrooms. Perfect for holiday feasts or impressive guest-entertaining meals, you can easily make this exquisite Japchae at home.
Main Ingredients
- 1 pack Million Mushrooms (Mankagdaq Mushrooms)
- Pinch of salt
- 150g soaked glass noodles
- 1/2 Carrot
- 1/2 Onion
- 1 Bell Pepper
- 1 Fish cake (square type)
- 2 Tbsp Cooking oil
- Pinch of toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
Japchae Seasoning
- 3 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp Oligodang (Korean corn syrup)
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Sesame oil
- 3 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp Oligodang (Korean corn syrup)
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Let’s prepare the star of our Japchae: the million mushrooms. First, trim off the tough bottom part of the mushrooms. Then, gently separate the mushrooms into strands following their natural direction. This helps to enhance their chewy texture.
Step 2
In a large pot, bring plenty of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Once boiling, briefly blanch the prepared million mushrooms for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. It’s important to maintain their firm, slightly springy texture. Tip: You can use the same mushroom-blanching water to cook the glass noodles for an even deeper flavor. (Tip: Soaking the glass noodles in cold water for at least 2 hours beforehand will significantly reduce cooking time and result in a chewier texture. Boil them for less than 1 minute in the boiling water.)
Step 3
Now, let’s make the savory seasoning sauce for the Japchae. In a bowl, combine 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 Tbsp oligodang, and 2 Tbsp sugar. Mix well. Briefly boiling this mixture before adding it to the ingredients allows the flavors to meld better and penetrate the other components more effectively. Stir while boiling to ensure the sugar dissolves completely.
Step 4
Prepare the vegetables and fish cake to add vibrant colors and delightful textures. Adding mushrooms and fish cake to Japchae really enhances its chewy consistency, making it much more enjoyable. Briefly blanch the square fish cake in boiling water to remove excess oil, then julienne it thinly. Julienne the 1/2 onion, 1/2 carrot, and 1 bell pepper into similar thicknesses. Using bell peppers of different colors will make your Japchae visually appealing.
Step 5
Heat a wide pan over medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp of cooking oil. Once the pan is sufficiently hot, add the julienned onion, fish cake, and carrot. Stir-fry quickly over high heat. Stir-frying rapidly before the vegetables release too much moisture prevents sogginess and preserves their crispness.
Step 6
As the onion begins to turn translucent, add the prepared million mushrooms and bell pepper. Stir-fry again quickly. It’s best to cook mushrooms and bell peppers only briefly, as overcooking can make them mushy. Turn off the heat once all the vegetables are tender-crisp.
Step 7
Transfer the boiled and drained glass noodles, along with the stir-fried vegetables and blanched million mushrooms, into a large bowl. The colorful combination of ingredients already looks appetizing.
Step 8
This is the final step. Pour the pre-boiled Japchae seasoning sauce evenly over the ingredients in the bowl. It’s crucial to mix everything gently but thoroughly so the sauce coats all components without breaking them. Use chopsticks or your hands to ‘knead’ and mix the ingredients gently until they are well-coated with the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary – add a little more soy sauce if it’s too bland, or a touch more sugar or oligodang if you prefer it sweeter. Finally, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds for a beautiful finish. Your delicious Million Mushroom Japchae is ready!
