Chap Chae (Korean Glass Noodles) Recipe #rachcancooksocanyou

2017-05-29: CHAP CHAE RECIPE

Serves 4 / Vegan 

Cooking Time : 1 hour

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1st Try  : Last 2017-05-20 based on a recipe I found on Pinterest. 

2nd Try : Last night as per Lydia's (office's Lunch Bunch) request. And I made some tweaks to cut corners (because I am lazy like that) and improve the dish. 😜 Tricks that I will also share with you, of course!

Ingredients:

250 g         sweet potato noodles (about P110 for a huge pack in the Korean Assi Mart 🇰🇷)

6-8 pcs.     dried shiitake mushrooms (available at spice or asian section of groceries)

1 pc           white onion (cut into long strips)

1 pc           carrot (small size, shredded in long strips)

5 stalks      chives (cut into 2 inch strips)

3 bundles   baby bokchoi (leaves only, cut into half length-wise)

3 tbsp        sesame oil (2 tbsp for sautéing, 1 tbsp for drizzling after cooking)

1/2 cup      soy sauce

2 tbsp        sugar

1 tsp          black pepper

1 tbsp        dried minced garlic (optional)

1 tsp          white sesame seeds (toasted, optional)

Preps:

- Soak 6 to 8 pcs of medium sized (about 2-inch diameter) dried shiitake in 2 cups of water overnight in the fridge.

- When ready to cook, squeeze out the water from soaked mushroom back into the soaking container and cut into strips. Keep the black-tea-colored soaking water.

Step #1 : Instead of having another pot on the stove to boil the noodles for 15-20 mins ... (Trick #1) just submerge the noodles into a container of water and put into the microwave on High for 6 minutes.

Step #2 : Sauté the onion, carrot strips and shiitake strips in 1 tbsp sesame oil until the onion becomes translucent on Medium heat.

Step #3 : Add in the chives and baby bokchoi leaves and sauté until slightly wilted.

Step #4 : Add in soy sauce, sugar, black pepper and dried minced garlic and stir until well mixed.

Step #6 : (Trick #2) Add in the black-tea-colored mushroom soaking water and stir well. This will give the dish some major umami.

Step #5 : Add in softened and slightly cooked sweet potato noodles and mix well with the liquid in the pan.

Step #6 : Leave the pan cooking uncovered for 5 mins then turn down heat to Low to dry out any excess liquid for another 5-8 mins. 

Step #7 : Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds (Trick #3) which can be toasted in the toaster oven for 2 mins on medium heat.

You have just made one tasty vegan dish that can rival BonChon's version of Chap Jae!

#rachcancooksocanyou ... so give it a try and tell me how it goes. 😉

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