Makanan ini pertama kali dibuat pada abad ke-17 ketika Semenanjung Korea diperintah Dinasti Joseon. Ketika Raja Gwanghaegun melangsungkan pesta besar di istana, salah seorang bangsawan tuan tanah menghidangkan japchae. Raja Gwanghaegun begitu menyukai rasa japchae hingga bangsawan tersebut diangkatnya menjadi byeongjo panseo (hangul:병조판서, hanja:兵曹判書, setara dengan menteri keuangan). Pada waktu itu, japchae hanya berupa sayur-sayuran dan jamur, seperti irisan mentimun, lobak, dan jamur shiitake. Sementara itu, sohun (dang myeon) ditambahkan ke dalam japchae pada abad ke-20. Berbeda dengan sohun Indonesia yang dibuat dari pati sagu atau pati aren dan midro, dang myeon dibuat dari tepung ubi jalar.
Japchae adalah makanan Korea berupa sohun (dang myeon) yang dicampur dengan berbagai jenis sayuran dan daging sapi. Makanan ini termasuk salah satu banchan, dan dimakan sebagai lauk, terutama dalam pesta dan kesempatan khusus. Sayuran yang digunakan biasanya sayuran yang sedang musim. Japchae ditulis dengan dua aksara hanja, jap (hangul:잡, hanja:雜, dicampur dan diaduk) dan chae (hangul:채, hanja:菜, sayuran). (Wikipedia.org)
Japchae
Ingredients:
Starch noodles (“dangmyun”)
150 grams of beef
1 bunch of spinach
1 medium size carrot
1 medium size onion
mushrooms (5 dried shiitake and 1 package of white mushrooms)
3 cloves of garlic
7-8 green onions
soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and sesame seeds
Aku tambahin timun yang diiris-iris
Makes 4 servings.
How to prepare your ingredients before stir frying:
Soak 5 dried shitake mushrooms in warm water for a few hours until they become soft. Squeeze the water out of them and slice thinly.
Slice a package of white mushrooms (2 cups worth).
Cut a carrot into thin matchstick-shaped pieces 5 cm long.
Cut 7 -8 green onions into 7 cm long pieces.
Slice one onion thinly.
Slice 150 grams of beef into thin strips.
Now let’s start!
Boil 2 bunches of noodles in boiling water in a big pot for about 3 minutes. When the noodles are soft, drain them and put in a large bowl.
Cut the noodles several times by using scissors and add 1 tbs of soy sauce and 1 tbs of sesame oil. Mix it up and set aside.
*tip: Take one sample and taste it to see whether or not it’s cooked properly. If it feels soft, it’s finished.
In the boiling water, add a bunch of spinach and stir it gently for 1 minute. Then take it out and rinse it in cold water 3 times. Remove any grit or dead leaves thoroughly while rinsing. Squeeze it gently to get the water out, then cut it into 5 cm pieces.
Add ½ tbs soy sauce and ½ tbs sesame oil and mix it and place it onto the large bowl.
*tip: When you drain the hot water from the pot, don’t discard the hot water. Put it back into the pot so you can cook your spinach quickly.
On a heated pan, put a few drops of olive oil and your carrot strips and stir it with a spatula for 30 seconds. Put it into the large bowl (don’t burn it!).
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your sliced onion. Stir it until the onion looks translucent. Put it into the large bowl with your carrots.
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add the sliced white mushrooms. Stir it for a bit and then put it in the large bowl.
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your green onions. Stir for 1 minute and put it into the large bowl.
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your beef strips and your sliced shitake mushrooms. Stir it until it’s cooked well, then add 3 cloves of minced garlic, ½ tbs soy sauce and ½ tbs sugar. Stir for another 30 seconds and then put it into the large bowl.
Add 2 tbs of soy sauce, 3 tbs of sugar, 2 tbs of sesame oil, and 1 ts of ground pepper to the large bowl. Mix all ingredients, then sprinkle 1 tbs of toasted sesame seeds on the top.
Serve with rice and Kimchi, or as a side dish.
