Although the star of this dish is dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles), japchae means “mixed vegetables” in Korean. The noodles are translucent, bouncy, slightly chewy in texture, and the variety of vegetables is a perfect complement to the noodles. Traditionally, each ingredient is prepped and cooked before everything is assembled together. This includes an extra step of stir-frying the noodles after they have been cooked. While growing up, I would watch my mother laboriously make batches of japchae for special occasions.
Making japchae in the Instant Pot has been a game changer. Since the Instant Pot traps moisture, it creates an environment for the noodles to cook into the marinade and is a lot faster to make. For the Instant Pot, just make sure the noodles are cut to fit inside the pot and laid in a criss-cross pattern to prevent clumping. At the end of pressure cooking, just a few extra minutes on the sauté mode with sesame oil and spinach will give you the same stir-fried taste as the traditional method.
Japchae is versatile and people often add protein like marinated beef or shrimp, but I don’t miss the protein in this dish because it’s so flavorful on its own. So have fun with it and add a variety of your favorite veggies.
If possible, purchase 7- to 8-inch straight dangmyeon noodles for ease and convenience.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4 as a side dish, or 2 as a main
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
If dangmyeon noodles are long, carefully cut the noodles with scissors to fit the diameter of the inner pot. Lay the noodles in a criss-cross pattern to prevent clumping.
Step 2
Lay the carrots, onions, and mushrooms on top of the noodles.
Step 3
In a small bowl, whisk sugar, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and ¾ cup of water until well-combined. Drizzle the liquid mixture over the vegetables and noodles.
Step 4
Turn and lock the lid and move the steam release valve to the sealed position. Select Pressure Cook on High and program for 3 minutes. When the cooking is complete, quick-release pressure manually and press Cancel. Unlock and carefully remove the lid.
Step 5
Select Sauté on Low. Add ¼ cup water, baby spinach, scallion, sesame oil, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly with the noodles. If the noodles are clumped together, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen it up. Keep sautéing ingredients together until the baby spinach has wilted and water is absorbed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Press Cancel.
Step 6
Transfer japchae to a bowl. Garnish with roasted sesame seeds and serve.
Recipe notes
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