Korean Glass Noodles (Japche) with Marinated Cucumbers

Korean Glass Noodles (Japche) with Marinated Cucumbers print

Japche Ingredients: 

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 servings of sweet potato glass noodles (~ 8 oz) 
• 4 cups raw spinach (more or less)
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 a block of tofu, thinly sliced
• Sesame seeds and green onions for topping

Directions: 
    Prep all your ingredients first - make sure your vegetables are cleaned, peeled and sliced so you can work fast while cooking!

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and boil for 6-7 minutes until the noodles are slightly chewy. Once cooked, drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water. Using a scissor, cut the noodles (optional). 

To make the sauce, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, sugar and fish sauce. Set aside. 

While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet with 1 tbsp canola oil. Add the tofu and fry on high heat until slights crispy, around 3 minutes. Then add the bell pepper, carrots and red onion and cook for 3 more minutes until softened. 

In a separate large pan, on high heat, add half your beaten egg. This should only take 1 minute to cook. Roll up the egg into a cylinder, set aside and cook the remaining egg. Slice the cylinders width wise into thin slices. 

Back to the pan with the vegetables and tofu, add the spinach, noodles, egg and sauce. Turn off the heat and mix everything together. 

Marinated Cucumbers Ingredients: 

• 2 Persian cucumbers, chopped in 1 inch pieces*
• 1 teaspoon Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions: 
In a small bowl, mix everything together. Store in the fridge for up to 1 hour before ready to serve.

Notes:
These noodles make for great meal prep! Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and before eating, add 1 tbsp of water per serving and heat it up in the microwave for 30 - 60 seconds to soften the noodles. 

The best cucumbers are the Persian Cucumbers from Trader Joe’s! The skin is thin and they’re super crisp. The marinated cucumbers don’t store well so make immediately when eating. After a few hours they tend to shrivel up.