I consider Chap Chae as the first “risky” dish that I prepared since I started cooking last year. Risky because (a) Asian noodle dishes, for me, are generally difficult to prepare with its many (and oftentimes, hard to find) ingredients, and (b) the method / steps are meticulous and I’m afraid that missing a simple step will ruin the dish altogether.
But when I saw this recipe at Yummy Magazine (my ever reliable magazine-cookbook) for a Korean noodle dish called Chap Chae, and found that the ingredients can easily be bought from the supermarket, I knew that I should give it a try. It’s been a while since I last made an Asian noodle dish (remember the Five Spice Pork Noodles?) and I was ready to try another one.
The result? See for yourself =)
Chap Chae was amazingly good and could go well with a hot pandesal (perfect as an afternoon merienda or snack). I was so happy it turned out well, with AJ and my parents loving every serving of it.
Now to make your own Chap Chae, you will only need:
- 250g mung bean noodles, soaked in warm water for about 10 minutes
- 1/2 cup light soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (you can add more, if you want)
- 2 tablespoons corn oil
- 1 onion, sliced lengthwise
- 1 package (about 2 cups) fresh button or oyster mushrooms, sliced
- 100g to 150g tenderloin beef, sliced thinly
- 1 carrot, julienned
- a handful of spinach leaves (kangkong can be a substitute
Step 1: Soak the mung bean noodles (or sotanghon as substitute) in warm water for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Drain soaked noodles. In a pot, cook noodles in boiling water until tender, about 2 minutes, and drain. Rinse in cold water until cool.
Step 3: In a bowl, combine light soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and garlic. Mix until sugar is dissolved. You may want to adjust the taste of the sauce mixture depending on your preference.
Step 4: Heat corn oil in a wok or saute pan (I used my Saladmaster sauce pan actually). Saute onions, add mushrooms, and cook until slightly tender.
Step 5: Add beef slices. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in carrots and spinach leaves.
Step 6: Add sauce mixture to the pan, then stir in the noodles. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving plate, and serve.
If you are into Korean dishes then this is definitely a must-try. By the way, you can have this hot or cold (perfect as a midnight snack too!)
(This recipe is from Yummy Books: Asian at Home – a compilation of recipes from around the Asian Region. It’s available at all National Bookstore outlets for only P125.00)
Looks delicious 🙂