Warm and Spicy Jjolmyeon Bokkeum (Stir Fried Chewy Noodles)
A noodle dish of chewy jjolmyeon noodles and crisp vegetables stir-fried in a spicy sauce.
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 →
Enjoy jjolmyeon noodles in a different way by stir-frying them warm with vegetables instead of serving them cold and mixed. Ready in about 20 minutes, the noodles stay delightfully chewy as long as you rinse them quickly after blanching and stir-fry them briefly over the heat. Add meat or ham to your liking for a hearty, satisfying meal.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Cook time
- 20 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Jjolmyeon noodles2 servings
- Blanched soybean sprouts1 handful
- Onion1/2
- Carrot1/4
- Cabbage2 leaves
- Scallions (jjokpa)4
Seasoning
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)2 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Water3 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Toasted sesame oila little
- Toasted sesame seedsa little
- Right after buying them, portion them into 1 serving each in plastic bags or ziplock bags and keep them in the freezer; when you use them, soak them in water to thaw and the strands will separate easily.
- You can also stir-fry meat, seafood, or ham along with the noodles.
Steps
1. You can prepare regular jjolmyeon ingredients, but since this is a stir-fry, I used onion or large green onion instead of cucumber.
Julienne all the vegetables, and blanch the soybean sprouts, rinse them in cold water, and drain.
2. Mix together all the seasoning ingredients except the toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.
Making any sauce in advance gives it a prettier color and allows the ingredients to dissolve and blend together, making it much tastier.
3. Add the noodles to rolling boiling water, and once it comes back to a boil, blanch for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Even before then, you can touch a noodle and take them out as soon as they turn soft.
4. Quickly transfer the jjolmyeon noodles to cold or ice water, rub them with your hands until the stickiness is gone and the water runs clear, then drain.
You have probably had times when jjolmyeon noodles would not separate easily by hand, so you had to pull them apart strand by strand.
Let me share an easy tip for separating jjolmyeon noodles easily.
As soon as you buy them, portion them into single servings in plastic bags or ziplock bags and store them in the freezer.
Whenever you want to eat jjolmyeon, take out the frozen noodles and soak them in water; as they thaw, every single strand will separate effortlessly.
I have been doing this ever since I learned about it long ago. If you try this method, it will make things so much easier.
5. Heat some oil in a heated pan, add the carrot and onion, and stir-fry until translucent.
6. Add the remaining vegetables—cabbage, scallions, and soybean sprouts—and stir-fry briefly just until slightly wilted.
7. Add the noodles and the sauce, and stir-fry so the sauce and ingredients are evenly mixed...
8. Finish by drizzling toasted sesame oil and sprinkling toasted sesame seeds over top.
Ppunwife's tips
- Making any sauce in advance gives it a prettier color and allows the ingredients to dissolve and blend together, making it much tastier.
- As long as you are careful not to stir-fry them over the heat for too long, you can enjoy wonderfully chewy noodles even after stir-frying.
FAQ
Is there an easy way to separate stuck-together jjolmyeon noodles?
Right after buying them, seal them in 1-serving portions and store them in the freezer; when cooking, soaking them in water to thaw will make the strands separate easily.
Can I add other ingredients besides vegetables?
If vegetables alone are not enough, adding meat, seafood, or ham to stir-fry together works very well to suit your taste.
What is the secret to keeping the noodles chewy even after stir-frying?
Rinse the blanched noodles in cold water while rubbing them, and then stir-fry them briefly in the pan just until lightly coated in the sauce so they do not become soggy.
