Simple and Delicious Egg Japchae Recipe
The secret to making delicious Egg Japchae, perfect for holiday feasts, easily and quickly! Try adding a special ingredient when boiling the glass noodles for extra flavor.
For those who find making Japchae a bit daunting, we’ve prepared a simple and easy-to-follow Egg Japchae recipe. It’s a wonderful dish for holidays, special occasions, or when hosting guests.
Main Ingredients- 200g Glass noodles (Dangmyeon)
- 1/2 bunch Spinach (trimmed and washed)
- 1/2 Carrot (julienned)
- 5 Eggs
- 200g Pork (for Japchae, thinly sliced)
- 1 Tbsp Oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Mirin
- Sesame seeds (for garnish)
- Sesame oil (for finishing)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Olive oil (for cooking)
Glass Noodle Boiling Secret- 1/2 cup Soy sauce (approx. 100ml)
- 2 liters Water
- 1/2 cup Soy sauce (approx. 100ml)
- 2 liters Water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, trim any yellow or wilted leaves and clean the roots off the spinach. Wash it thoroughly and set aside. (Note: Winter spinach isn’t at its peak flavor right now, but it’s essential for Japchae and adds a wonderful depth of flavor.)
Step 2
Wash and peel the carrot, then slice it thinly into uniform julienne strips.
Step 3
To marinate the pork and remove any gamey smell, mix it with 1 Tbsp of cooking wine (or mirin), a pinch of black pepper, and 1 Tbsp of ginger syrup. Massage the mixture into the pork. (Tip: If you don’t have ginger syrup, using cooking wine alone is sufficient to help neutralize the pork’s odor.)
Step 4
Crack the 5 eggs into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and 1 Tbsp of mirin. Whisk well to combine, ensuring there’s no eggy smell. (Tip: Mirin is excellent at removing the eggy aroma. If you don’t have mirin, you can substitute with about 1/2 Tbsp of cooking wine or soju.)
Step 5
Now, let’s boil the glass noodles. In a pot, bring 2 liters of water to a boil, then add 1/2 cup of soy sauce. Once the water is boiling, add the dried glass noodles and cook for about 10 minutes. (Pro Tip: Boiling the noodles with soy sauce infuses them with a subtle flavor, making them tastier and easier to season later.)
Step 6
Once the glass noodles are cooked to perfection, they will have a deep brownish hue. Drain them but do not rinse with cold water. To prevent them from sticking together, lightly coat the noodles with sesame oil. This will keep them delightfully springy.
Step 7
Heat a lightly oiled pan (use olive oil) and pour in the seasoned egg mixture to make thin omelets or crepes. Once cooked, slice them into thin julienne strips. (Tip: If you love egg, you can make them slightly thicker. Alternatively, thinner crepes sliced into long strips make the Japchae look even more abundant and appealing.)
Step 8
In another pan, heat a little olive oil. Add the prepared spinach and a tiny pinch of salt. Sauté just until the spinach wilts. Be careful not to overcook it.
Step 9
Once the spinach is lightly sautéed, add the julienned carrots and the marinated pork. Add 1 Tbsp of oyster sauce at this stage. This prevents the vegetables from releasing too much water and adds a wonderful umami depth. Stir-fry until the pork is cooked through and the mixture is relatively dry.
Step 10
It’s time to assemble all the components! In a large bowl, combine the boiled glass noodles, the sautéed vegetables and pork, and the julienned egg crepes. Add 2 Tbsp of sugar and some sesame seeds. Gently toss everything together to combine. Season to taste with soy sauce. (Tip: Even though soy sauce was used to boil the noodles, the overall dish might still be a bit bland. Taste and adjust the amount of soy sauce and sugar to suit your preference. Remember to consider the saltiness of the oyster sauce as well.)
