Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles with Beef)

Method

1. Toast the white sesame seeds until fragrant. Peel and mince 7 cloves of garlic. Shred 1 carrot. Cut 100g spinach into 5cm lengths.
2. Crack 3 chicken eggs into a bowl, season with half a teaspoon seasoning powder, half a teaspoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon tapioca starch and a little black pepper, and beat well.
3. Thinly slice 200g beef and marinate it for 15 minutes with 1 teaspoon cooking oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and a little black pepper.
4. Soak 200g dried Korean glass noodles in cold water for 30 minutes until soft, then drain them.
5. Make the sauce: fry the minced garlic in 1 teaspoon cooking oil until fragrant, add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 tablespoon gochujang and 2 tablespoons water, turn the heat up and stir until it thickens, then squeeze in a little lime juice.
6. Cook the egg in a thin sheet over low heat with 2 teaspoons cooking oil, cool it, then roll it and cut it into strips.
7. Stir fry the beef over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes and lift it out. Stir fry the carrot until just done.
8. Blanch the spinach for 1 minute and drop it straight into ice water, then lift it out and drain it.
9. Put the noodles in a large bowl, arrange the beef, carrot, egg, 180g bean sprouts and spinach on top, pour over the sauce, lift and fold gently to combine, and scatter with toasted sesame.

Tips

• Korean sweet potato noodles give strands that stay chewy rather than breaking down.
• A cold rinse after boiling or soaking is what firms the strands up.
• Keep the beef in the pan for no more than 3 minutes.
• Scale back the gochujang for a milder plate.
• kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so give the sauce another half minute on the heat and stir it through.
• Lift and fold gently with the hands or long chopsticks, since vigorous tossing breaks the strands.