Sweet and Sour Jjolmyeon (Spicy Chewy Noodles) for Summer
A snack-bar style noodle dish of chewy noodles tossed with crisp vegetables in a sweet and sour special 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 →
This snack-bar favorite perks up your appetite by tossing chewy noodles and crisp vegetables in a spicy-sweet special sauce. If you mix the sauce 30 minutes to 1 hour before eating, the ingredients blend together for a much deeper flavor. Rinsing the boiled noodles thoroughly in cold water to wash away the slippery starch keeps them from clumping and ensures a springy texture.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Cook time
- 4 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Chewy noodles (jjolmyeon)300 g
- Cucumber1/2
- Carrot1/4
- Soybean sprouts1 handful
- Perilla leaves5 leaves
- Boiled egg1
Sauce
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)3 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Vinegar2 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Lemon-lime soda (chilsung cider) (or cola)2 tbsp
- Fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Right after purchasing, divide into 1-serving portions in plastic wrap or ziplock bags and store in the freezer. When needed, take one out and soak it in water; as it thaws, all the strands will separate within about 1 minute.
- Use whatever vegetables you have at home by shredding them. Cabbage, lettuce, bell peppers, or garlic chives can all be used.
- When eating carrots raw together with cucumbers, you can prevent the destruction of vitamin C by tossing the carrots in vinegar beforehand, or by blanching or stir-frying them before use.
Steps
Add all the sauce ingredients and mix them together.
You can adjust the vinegar, or the corn syrup and sugar that provide sweetness, to your taste.
You may omit the lemon-lime soda (or cola) and add a little more sugar instead.
Rather than making it right before eating, make it 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead so all the seasoning ingredients harmonize for better flavor.
If you make a generous batch of sauce, it is delicious mixed not only with chewy noodles but with thin wheat noodles too.
Place the chewy noodles in a strainer and drain off the excess water roughly to prepare them.
Add them to boiling water and cook. Unlike thin wheat noodles, chewy noodles cook quickly, so about 3 to 4 minutes after the water starts boiling should be plenty.
Cooking times can vary by brand, so refer to the package instructions for boiling times.
Quickly transfer the chewy noodles into cold water and rub them with your hands until the slippery starch is gone and the water runs clear.
If you rinse them carelessly, the strands will stick together like rice cakes when tossing.
Boil the soybean sprouts in boiling water, rinse in cold water, and drain. I shredded whatever vegetables I had at home and arranged them on a plate.
Add the sauce and toss everything together evenly.
Ppunwife's tips
- Rather than making the sauce right before eating, prepare it 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead so the seasoning ingredients blend together for even better flavor.
- Rub the boiled chewy noodles thoroughly in cold water with your hands until the slippery starch is gone and the water runs clear so the noodles do not clump together like rice cakes.
FAQ
Is there an easy way to separate clumped-together chewy noodles?
Divide them into 1-serving portions and store in the freezer. Just before using, soak them in water, and as they thaw, the strands will loosen gently within 1 minute.
What should I do if I do not have lemon-lime soda or cola for the sauce?
You can leave out the soda and add a little more sugar instead to make up for the sweetness.
What should I watch out for when rinsing the boiled noodles?
Put them in cold water and rub them with your hands until the slippery starch washes away and the water runs clear, so the noodles do not stick together like rice cakes.
Are there any tips for eating carrots and cucumbers raw together?
The ascorbinase in carrots can hinder vitamin C absorption, so if serving them raw, it is best to toss the carrots with vinegar beforehand or lightly blanch them before use.
