A simple, oil-free, and refreshing japchae made by steaming noodles and ingredients together in a steamer basket without stir-frying each ingredient separately.
🙋 Recommended for
⭐ Those who are intimidated by the complicated and tedious process of stir-frying ingredients separately when making japchae
⭐ Those who prefer a light, non-greasy, clean, and refreshing japchae with minimal oil
In a small pot, combine soy sauce 7 tablespoons, oyster sauce 2 tablespoons, joecheong 4 tablespoons, mirin 5 tablespoons, black pepper 1 teaspoon, and sliced garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 1 minute to make the base seasoning sauce.
Dice the onion and dried shiitake mushrooms into even pieces. Julienne the carrot thinly, as if slicing it into thin threads. Cut the scallions into 7 cm lengths.
Evenly spread the prepared onion, carrot, dried shiitake mushrooms, and scallions across the steamer basket.
Add 2L of water to a large steamer pot and bring to a boil. Add soy sauce 4 tablespoons, brown sugar 3 tablespoons, and vegetable oil 2 tablespoons. Then place the 10-serving portion of glass noodles into the pot and begin boiling.
Once the water returns to a boil, place the steamed vegetable basket on top of the pot and cover with the lid. Steam together for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove the vegetable basket and let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, continue boiling the glass noodles, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for an additional 4 minutes—total cooking time is 9 minutes.
After 9 minutes, drain the glass noodles and shake off as much water as possible. Transfer them to a large bowl and immediately add sesame oil 2 tablespoons, quickly tossing to coat evenly and prevent clumping.
Add the steamed vegetables (squeeze out excess moisture from scallions before adding) and the reserved sweet soy sauce seasoning. Mix thoroughly, adjusting the seasoning to taste.
Finally, sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds and toss once more to finish.
Boil soy sauce, oyster sauce, joescheong, and sliced garlic together to make the seasoning sauce. Dice onion, carrot, mushrooms, and scallions.
Add water, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vegetable oil to the steamer pot and bring to a boil. Start boiling the glass noodles.
When the water boils again, place the vegetable steamer basket on top and steam for 5 minutes. Remove the basket, then continue boiling the noodles for 4 more minutes.
Coat the cooked noodles with sesame oil, then mix in the steamed vegetables and seasoning sauce. Finish by sprinkling with toasted sesame seeds.
Cooking tips 💡
Adding soy sauce and brown sugar directly to the boiling water gives the glass noodles a rich, appetizing dark color and deep flavor.
Immediately toss the hot boiled noodles with sesame oil to coat—this prevents drying out or sticking together over time.
Do not pour all the seasoning sauce at once; leave about 3 tablespoons and gradually mix it in while tossing the noodles to adjust seasoning to your preference, reducing the risk of over-salting.
Striker Chef's Super Simple Japchae Using Galbi-jjim Sauce
A one-pan japchae with deep flavor, made by cooking glass noodles in galbi-jjim sauce.