Fragrant Minari Japchae (Water Dropwort Glass Noodles)
Japchae lightly stir-fried with fragrant in-season water dropwort and shrimp instead of spinach.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
When spinach is hard to find, fresh water dropwort and shrimp come together in this refreshing one-bowl dish. Without complicated ingredients, simply stir-fry the glass noodles and toss them with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil seasoning for an easy finish.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Cook time
- 10 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Dried sweet potato glass noodles (dangmyeon)200 g
- Shrimp10
- Water dropwort (minari)100 g
- Onion1/2 (large)
- Yellow and red bell peppers1/2 each
Glass noodle seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)2 tbsp
- Sugar1 tsp
Final seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)0.5 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds
- 50g of dried sweet potato glass noodles makes a generous 1-serving portion for an adult. Keep this in mind when cooking for housewarmings or guests.
- Pick out only the stems of the water dropwort and cut them into lengths of about 5cm. A large handful is about 100g.
- Peel the shrimp and devein them.
- Instead of shrimp, you can use other seafood like squid, or use pork or beef.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
1. Simple ingredients, right? The bunch of water dropwort I bought the day before yesterday for 2000 won has been appearing on our table for days.
Pick out only the stems of the water dropwort and cut them into lengths of about 5cm. A large handful is about 100g.
Lightly blanch the water dropwort leaves and toss them with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil to enjoy as a side dish.
Thinly julienne the onion and bell peppers, and peel and devein the shrimp.
Instead of shrimp, you can use other seafood like squid, or use pork or beef.
2. Stir-fry the prepared vegetables separately in a heated pan with cooking oil.
First, add a little fine salt to the onion and stir-fry until translucent.
3. Add a little salt to the water dropwort as well and stir-fry it very briefly.
Stir-fry the bell peppers the same way and set aside.
4. Lightly blanch the shrimp in boiling water with a little salt and set aside.
5. Here are the stir-fried ingredients.
6. Boil the sweet potato glass noodles in boiling water. Boiling them for about 10 minutes is enough.
Rinse in cold water, drain, and pre-cut into bite-sized lengths.
7. Generously coat a heated pan with cooking oil and stir-fry the boiled sweet potato glass noodles.
Add 2 tbsp of regular soy sauce and 1 tsp of sugar, stir-fry until the noodles are evenly coated with the soy sauce color, then remove from the heat.
8. Add the shrimp and stir-fried vegetables together, add the final seasoning of regular soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds, then mix well.
Taste it, and if it is bland, add more soy sauce.
Ppunwife's tips
- Lightly blanch the water dropwort leaves and toss them with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil to enjoy as a side dish.
- Taste it, and if it is bland, add more soy sauce.
FAQ
Which part of the water dropwort is used and how is it prepared?
Select mainly the stems and cut them into lengths of about 5cm. You can lightly blanch the remaining leaves in boiling water and toss them with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil to make a side dish.
What can I substitute if I do not have shrimp?
Instead of shrimp, other seafood such as squid works well, or you can use pork or beef according to your preference.
How much dried sweet potato glass noodles should I prepare for 1 serving of japchae?
About 50g of dried sweet potato glass noodles is a suitable amount for one adult to eat generously.
How long should the sweet potato glass noodles be boiled?
Add them to boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes, then rinse in cold water, drain, and cut into convenient lengths.
