Stir-fried noodles with vegetables

Stir-fried noodles with vegetables, Chap Jae

I bought a package of sweet potato vermicelli mistaking them for mung bean vermicelli or glass noodles. I never noticed this type of vermicelli before and didn't know how it was eaten. No problem. I googled and found that it is cooked in a similar way to the glass noodles. In fact, there is a well-known Korean dish called Chap Jae that is stir fried with vegetables.

I made Chap Jae and it turned out very well. The noodles are firmer and have more bite than the glass noodles. Everyone loved the dish. In future, I'll be buying sweet potato vermicelli on purpose rather than by accident.

Sweet potato vermicelli, called dang myun in Korean.

Here is my version:

Ingredients:

A 14 ounce package of sweet potato vermicelli
A quarter pound of beef, thinly sliced
2 shitake mushrooms, sliced, if using dried, soak in hot water to soften
4 dried cloud ear mushrooms, soaked in hot wate
A bunch of spinach, washed
2 cups of baby bok choy
2 green onions, cut into 1 inch sections
Half an onion, sliced
1 small carrot, shredded
1 piece of fresh bamboo shoot, shredded
Celery leaves (optional)
Oil for stir frying

Sauce for noodles:

1 teaspoon of roasted sesame seed
1/4 cup of soup stock
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sugar
Salt and pepper
Salt

Marinade for beef:

1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of pure sesame oil
1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
Salt and pepper

Chap Jae

Method:

1. In a small bowl mix the sauce for the noodles together.
2. Boil a pot of water and blanch the spinach. Remove the spinach and put it under cold running water to stop the cooking.
3. Drain and squeeze the spinach to remove the excess water. Chop the spinach.
4. Blanch the baby bok choy. Remove and put it under cold running water. Drain and set aside.
5. Bring the water back to a boil and add the noodles. Boil the noodles for about five minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until the noodles are cool. The noodles should be slightly chewy.
6. Cut the beef into approximately 1/2 inch by 2 inch strips. Mix the marinade ingredients and add the beef. Stir the mixture to coat the beef with the marinade. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.
7. Heat the wok or cast-iron pan and add some oil. Stir-fry the onions and green onions for a couple of minutes. Remove and set aside.
8. Add the beef and stir-fry for a minute. It should be undercooked as it will be cooked further with the noodles.
9. Remove the beef and add the mushrooms. Stir-fry for a minutes. Add the carrots, bamboo shoots, celery leaves and wood fungus. Cook for a minute. Remove and set them aside with the beef.
10. Add more oil and put the noodles into the wok. Cook the noodles for a minute and pour the sauce over the noodles. Stir to mix the sauce evenly in the noodles.
11. Add the beef and vegetables. Hold a spatula in one hand and chopsticks or another spatula in the other. Toss and mix the vegetables and noodles together.
12. Dish up. Enjoy!

Note:

• As part of a meal for 4 people, half a package of noodles is enough. I wouldn't halve the amounts of the meat and vegetables.
• There are different ways to prepare the noodles. I followed the instructions on the Six Fortune package.
• It is best to cook the noodles soon after they have been boiled and cooled. I prepared them ahead of time and they turned into a solid mass. I had to soak them in water again to separate the noodles. If you wish to prepare the noodles earlier, I suggest tossing the noodles in some oil to prevent them for sticking together.