Fragrant Minari Japchae (Water Dropwort Glass Noodles)
A spring delicacy japchae stir-fried clean and chewy with fish cake and seasonal water dropwort instead of meat.
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 one-dish japchae uses water dropwort, fish cake, and wood ear mushrooms instead of spinach and meat for a clean flavor and chewy texture. Boil the sweet potato glass noodles for 2 minutes less than the package instructions so they stay bouncy without getting mushy after stir-frying. The key is to cook the water dropwort only briefly so it keeps its fresh aroma and crisp bite.
- Servings
- 4–5 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Sweet potato glass noodles (dangmyeon)200 g
- Water dropwort (minari)100 g
- Fish cake (eomuk)3 sheets, 170 g (square fish cake)
- Onion1/4
- Carrot1/4
- Soaked wood ear mushrooms60 g
Noodle Seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)2 tbsp
- Oyster sauce1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
Japchae Seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds2 tbsp
- Shiitake mushrooms or oyster mushrooms are also great.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
I have 200g of sweet potato glass noodles.
I prepared fish cake instead of meat, and the vegetables are water dropwort, onion, carrot, and wood ear mushrooms.
Shiitake mushrooms or oyster mushrooms are also great.
Related post on the blog (Korean)blog.naver.com/ppunwife/222244709325I am linking a guide on how to prepare wood ear mushrooms. Please check it for reference.
Cut the ingredients
Cut only the stems of the water dropwort into 4-5cm lengths.
The leafy tips at the very end make japchae look messy, so set them aside and use them in soup later.
I prepared slightly thick fish cakes, about 3 sheets of square fish cake.
Julienne them thinly, julienne the onion and carrot as well, and slice the wood ear mushrooms lengthwise.
Stir-fry the ingredients
Heat oil in a hot pan, add the carrot and a little salt, and stir-fry briefly.
Add the wood ear mushrooms and fish cake together, stir-fry just enough to keep their texture, then transfer to a large plate to cool.
Add oil to the pan, add the onion, and stir-fry briskly. Add only the thick stems of the water dropwort first and stir-fry for about 10 seconds...
Add all the remaining water dropwort, season lightly with a little salt, stir-fry everything briefly, and transfer to a plate to let the heat escape.
If you stir-fry it too long, the water dropwort will droop unpleasantly.
Boil the noodles
Add the sweet potato glass noodles to rolling boiling water and boil for about 2 minutes less than the time indicated on the package.
Rinse in cold water, drain, and cut into easy-to-eat lengths.
You need to boil them so they are not completely cooked through, so they will stay bouncy and retain their texture instead of turning mushy when stir-fried.
Season the noodles
Heat 2-3 tbsp of cooking oil, stir-fry the noodles while untangling them, then add 2 tbsp of regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, and 1 tbsp of sugar; stir-fry so the noodles absorb the flavor and color, then remove from the heat and let them cool down.
Season the japchae
Add all the stir-fried ingredients, add 2 tbsp of toasted sesame oil and 2 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds, and mix evenly.
Taste the noodles and vegetables together; it was a bit bland, so I finished by mixing in about 1 tbsp more of regular soy sauce.
Finish
Minari japchae is finished.
Wood ear mushrooms and fish cake take the place of meat, making it clean and twice as chewy.
Fragrant water dropwort fills in for spinach, making it light and delicious.
Ppunwife's tips
- Cut only the stems of the water dropwort into 4-5cm lengths. The leafy tips at the very end make japchae look messy, so set them aside and use them in soup later.
- If you stir-fry it too long, the water dropwort will droop unpleasantly.
- Add the sweet potato glass noodles to rolling boiling water and boil for about 2 minutes less than the time indicated on the package. Rinse in cold water, drain, and cut into easy-to-eat lengths. You need to boil them so they are not completely cooked through, so they will stay bouncy and retain their texture instead of turning mushy when stir-fried.
- The key is to stir-fry the water dropwort in the japchae only briefly to keep both its aroma and flavor alive.
FAQ
Do you use all of the water dropwort leaves in japchae?
Focus on the stems, cutting them into 4-5cm lengths. The leafy tips can make the japchae look messy, so it is better to save them for soups.
How can I boil the glass noodles so they don't get soggy or overcooked?
Boil them for about 2 minutes less than the package instructions, rinse in cold water, and drain well; this keeps their texture bouncy even after stir-frying with seasoning.
Can I use other mushrooms instead of wood ear mushrooms?
Shiitake mushrooms or oyster mushrooms also work wonderfully as substitutes.
How do I stir-fry water dropwort without letting it turn limp?
Stir-fry the thick, firm stems first for about 10 seconds, then add the rest of the stems, cook only briefly, and spread onto a plate to cool so they keep their crisp texture and aroma.
