Japchae
Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats' japchae recipe, found here. Their recipe is for beef, but we adapted it to tofu.
Main Ingredients:
- Tofu
- 1 lb sweet potato glass noodles
- 1 onion
- 3 green onions
- 1 red bell pepper
- 16 oz shiitake mushrooms
- 2-3 carrots
- Spinach
- Korean seasoning blend (we like the Gimi KBBQ blend from TonzKitchen)
- Salt
- Cornstarch and/or shake and bake mix
- Spicy chili oil
- Sesame seeds
Marinade ingredients:
- Soy sauce (tofu absorbs liquid, so use a generous amount)
- 2 tsp white sugar
- Garlic
- Pepper (white or black)
Sauce ingredients:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp white sugar
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper (white or black)
Directions:
- Start heating up water in large pot to make noodles. As feasible, work on tofu/marinade and veggie prep (steps 3 and 4) during this time.
- Prepare noodles according to package instructions. Drain, then add to large mixing bowl (stainless steel preferred, as hot ingredients are added directly to bowl).
- Cut tofu into chicken nugget pieces. Place in a tupperware, then add marinade ingredients in tupperware, add lid, and shake to mix and coat.
- Wash and cut veggies. Cut onion in half, then slice into half moons. Cut red bell pepper into thin strips. Use a peeler to peel carrots into thin strips. Slice shiitake mushrooms. Thinly slice green onions, and combine white parts with regular onion and set aside green parts for later. Roughly chop spinach.
- Heat up skillet or wok with oil. Cook each veggie individually, seasoning with salt and Korean seasoning blend. As each type of vegetable is done cooking, add to large mixing bowl on top of noodles. Add more oil to the pan as needed.
- If pan has too much stuck onto it after finishing veggies, consider using another pan for tofu. Coat tofu slices in cornstarch and/or shake and bake, then fry on each side. Serve on the side, as the slices don’t mix in with noodles/veggies effectively.
- Make sauce. In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients, then pour over noodle and veggie mix. Mix together, making sure all noodles are coated in sauce. Add more soy sauce as needed.
- Serve! Top japchae with your fried tofu, green onion, sesame seeds, and chili oil to taste.