Korean noodle dishes

[wrek92]

My fave is Cha Chiang Mein/JaJiangMyon. Problem is, I need to get off my duff and find a good recipe to make this myself. Where should I get the noodles? A Korean grocery or Chinese? I am guessing the noodles would be wheat based? Maybe I can substitue linguini? Thankfully there are both types of groceries in town.

Boy, do I miss my college days in Atlanta when I could choose from at least 3 or 4 different Chinese restaurants that served Cha Chiang Mein.

[touaregsand]

Jajiang Myon is pretty easy to make. The recipe I have is "authentic" Chinese-Korean. I have no idea if it's authentic Chinese though. But since this thread is about Korean noodles...

2 heaping tablespoons of Chinese Black Bean Paste

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium zucchini chopped

1 small potato chopped (optional)

Protein of choice: Chopped (not ground) beef or mixed seafood. (not both, unless you want for some reason)

Cornstarch to thicken

Sugar to taste

Sautee the onions a for a few minutes in a little oil, add potato and zucchini, sautee for a few more minutes, browned beef in a seperate pan (if you're adding seafod add it later) add the beef to the vegetables, a cup or so of water, more if needed, add the bean paste, bring to a gentl boil, (if your adding seafood, do it at this time) reduce heat, cook, add more water if necessary, taste add sugar (sometimes you need to add quite a bit to get that restaurant flavor), add cornstarch slurry to thicken (maybe a tablespoon or so).

You can add more or less of the bean paste to suit your tastes. Also, if you've had the dish at Chinese-Korean restaurants, it was probably garnished with a little julienned cucumber.

All of these ingredients including the noodles should be readily available at any Chinese or Korean grocery store including the noodles.

EDIT: Carrots, I forgot the carrots. Chop as for the other vegetables and saute.

Edited March 7, 2005 by touaregsand (log)

[Soup]

I had hand made Chajangmein today. I wish I knew how to make those hand pulled noodles (any help would be appreciated). The Chajagmein was delicious.

However as the weather begins to warm my thoughts turned to the most perfect noodle dish of all time, MulNangMein. The chewy elastic noodles swimming in ice cold beef broth, topped with egg, beef and asian pear. YUM!!!

My parents, me and my kids love Nangmein. However, for my wife it provokes the drive heaves if the noodles even touch her mouth. She says she cannot stand the texture.

My father is such a fanatic, he kicks off each summer with a bowl of Nangmein (w/ Sari, aka extra noodles) every year.

My parents immagrated to the US in the 70s. I remember that for his last dinner, he wanted to go to his favorite Nangmein restuarant. When we got there, there was a line of people waiting and we were told that we could not be seated. Then my mom asked if one person could be seated. They agreed and my mom told my dad to have his Nangmein. My brother and I with my mom ate at a non-descript resturant around the corner. I wish I could remember the name of the Nangmein resturant.

Nangmein, I'm convince cannot be made at home. On a separate topic, has anyone had SooJaeBee? Had it last time I was in Seoul, it was great!!

[touaregsand]

Nangmein, I'm convince cannot be made at home. On a separate topic, has anyone had SooJaeBee? Had it last time I was in Seoul, it was great!!

Nengmyun? Is that what you mean?

It can be made at home. The noodles cook up very quickly, less 2-3 minutes. Stir every minute or so. Drain, immediately plunge into ice water, work the noodles with your hands, you will feel them 'tighten' up (this is the cholgi cholgi texture that nengmyun noodles should have).

The yooksoo that is traditionally with hoeng hweh is white beef broth.

Nengmyun is a North Korean specialty.

[melonpan]

this is not a recipe, but just general directions.

you make the broth with beef shank bones with meat on it. you simmer for a long long time to suck the marrow out and get the soup flavourful.

after its cooked, chill.

then you buy the buckwheat noodles seperately and prepare them seperately.

add garnishes as you like (cukes, pears, kimchi, radish slices, watermelon slices, ice) and season with some wasabi (oil or paste), or mustard and some vinegar.

you can make this at home without too much effort unlike other dishes.

you can also skip the homemade broth part since a lot of naengmyun packages come with instant packets of naengmyun dashida.

sujebi is also something you are more likely to find someone make at home rather than find in a restaurant. its a comfort thing.

first you make a soup and here you have to decide what kind of soup you want. it is usually a clear broth soup. anchovy based, beef based or chicken based.

we usually make it with anchovies and veggies (cabbage, carrots, garlic) or chix and veggies (same ones). i have made this with canned soup too.

you make a dough from just flour and water. no proportions, just mix amounts of both until you get a dough that you like.

i boil the sujebi in water separate from the broth. if you boil them in your broth you will get super pasty soup. sometimes people like it like that, extra thick. so you can boil them up there.

pull off little bits of the dough into the boiling water. make sure the flakes are thin enough to cook through without too much trouble. then when the sujebi and your broth are ready, drain the sujebi and dump into your soup.

thats it.

i have even supplemented canned chunky soup with sujebi. and i have supplemented homemade chicken soup with sujebi. you can add sujebi to many kinds of soups, but it is usually put into simple soups since its a simple dumpling.

anyone here have a proper recipe with proportions? if no one speaks up, i may eventually put one up. but i suspect there are real recipes already posted out there.

try different spellings: sujaebi, sujebi, nengmyun, naengmyeon, naengmyun.

[Soup]

Nangmein, I'm convince cannot be made at home. On a separate topic, has anyone had SooJaeBee? Had it last time I was in Seoul, it was great!!

Nengmyun? Is that what you mean?

It can be made at home. The noodles cook up very quickly, less 2-3 minutes. Stir every minute or so. Drain, immediately plunge into ice water, work the noodles with your hands, you will feel them 'tighten' up (this is the cholgi cholgi texture that nengmyun noodles should have).

The yooksoo that is traditionally with hoeng hweh is white beef broth.

Nengmyun is a North Korean specialty.

←

yes, my spelling is off. The issue for me is the yooksoo. I tried making it from scratch and it so ok at best and the whole time I'm thinking I can just go buy this for $12. Its never turned out that great. Last summer was the first time where I didn't even try once to make it. Instead, I went and bought those premade packets of Yooksoo (liquid soup in a packet). It was passible but it wasn't as good as the resturant version.

There are few dishes like that for me. Pho and Nangmyun come to mind. By the time I'm making that stock I think to myself, I can drive 3 miles and get this for a few bucks.

Soup

[touaregsand]

Yooksoo is seasoned white beef stock. Beef soup bones are available in Korean markets for around $1.00 a pound or at Chinese markets for sometimes as low as 50 cents a pound. Boil the bones two-three times, drain and rinse each time to get rid of all the scum. Add a whole mu, whole onion and a piece of dried dashima to the bones, bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 hours. You can make 1 or 2 more batches of stock from the same bones. This can be used as a basic stock for soups and stews. It does not have much flavor, the smell is very plain beef bone smelling. But it adds alot of body to soups and stews. I even use it for ramen.

As for yooksoo, the trick to the restaurant flavor is scallions, garlic and powdered anchovy dashima (contains MSG). Strain before service.

Making the stock depends on how much Korean homecooking you do and the trouble you want to go to. It freezes well and it really makes a difference.

EDIT' Yooksoo also refers to plain, unseasoned white beef broth. But the yooksoo that is served with nengmyun is seasoned. I hope I didn't confuse anyone with this.

Edited April 21, 2005 by touaregsand (log)

[Behemoth]

Now that the thermometer is at 90+ most days, I have been having wild bi bim naeng myun cravings. The place I used to frequent last year seems to have gone downhill, and I haven't found an accessible replacement.

Would anyone care to share their favorite recipe?

[touaregsand]

Now that the thermometer is at 90+ most days, I have been having wild bi bim naeng myun cravings. The place I used to frequent last year seems to have gone downhill, and I haven't found an accessible replacement.

Would anyone care to share their favorite recipe?

←

I assume you mean recipes for sauces and that you have access to packaged noodles.

What type sauce do you like? Do you really expect to me list them all here before knowing you preference?

[Behemoth]

I assume you mean recipes for sauces and that you have access to packaged noodles.

What type sauce do you like? Do you really expect to me list them all here before knowing you preference? 

←

I haven't experienced that much variation. All the ones I've had are just buckwheat noodles in an ice cold metal bowl with a deep red sauce that starts out a little sweet and seems to get increasingly spicy as you make your way through. Usually with a slice or two of beef, a hard boiled egg, and the occasional asian pear.

Don't get all pedantic with me, missy! I've been to Korea.

Er, once.

Now give me the freakin' recipe! I'm starvin' here!

[ludja]

A little OT, but I like the new avatar touaregsand-- and Behemoth--well, yours has always been one of my favorites...

[Soup]

In addition to to the suace, I love the ones with raw fish or dried fish shreds. Yum.

[Marco_Polo]

Hi Behemoth, here's a recipe and it's dead simple (from my book Flavours of Korea with stories and recipes from a Korean grandmother's kitchen):

Pibimnaegmyon Buckwheat noodles with chili sauce

There are hot foods and there are hot foods. Pibimnaegmyon is definitely in the latter category: a bowlful of cool (not ice cold) buckwheat noodles, served with a super-hot chili sauce together with a few slices of boiled beef, hard-boiled egg, and Korean radish or tong chimi. The heat, moreover, is deceptive and sneaks up on you not all at once, but only after you have eaten half the bowl and thus are past the point of no return. So have plenty of iced water on hand (though it won't really do much good). This spicy speciality, for some reason, seems to be most always served with a cup of hot beef broth on the side, but, believe me, this does little to cool you down. Even so, I can never ever resist a big bowlful of pibimnaegmyon...

1 lb naengmyon (buckwheat noodles)

***

2 tablespoons kochujang

2-4 teaspoons coarsely ground red pepper powder (I like Portuguese piri piri chilies)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed and finely chopped

2 teaspoons toasted and crushed sesame seeds

2 teaspoon sugar

3 spring onions, finely chopped

A little cool beef broth to thin, if necessary

***

1/2 lb cold boiled beef, sliced

2 eggs, hard boiled

1 Korean radish, peeled and sliced (if available, use slices of tong chimi water kimchi)

***

1 1/2 pints homemade beef broth

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the buckwheat noodles for 3-5 minutes until cooked (they should still be al dente but not tough or overly elastic). Drain, then rinse well in cold water and set aside.

Mix together the sauce ingredients: kochujang, red pepper powder to taste (the hotter the better), vinegar, oil, garlic, sesame seeds, sugar and spring onions. Thin with a little cool beef broth if necessary to make a medium, not too thick sauce consistency.

To serve, place a portion of cooked noodles in each bowl and top with a generous spoonful of the chili sauce, followed by a slice or two of boiled beef, a slice of Korean radish or tong chimi, and half a hard boiled egg. Mix well before eating. Serve with a cup or mug of hot beef broth on the side.

[Behemoth]

MP-- thanks, that looks great.

[mukbo]

I like Jajangmyun.

Jajamgmyun is very easy to make.

Most important point is that sauting jajang with equal amount of oil(amount of oil is depends on cook's preference but you need enough oil) in the low heat until jajang absorb enogh oil. (Yes, anybody in the diet.. stay away from it!)

After that put the mixture in the colander and drain the oil.

You can use any vegitable but my favorate is potato, Onion and cabbage.

(Actually, I didn't have Jajang noodle, so I used Udon noodle.)

About Mul-Nangmyun Yook-Soo.

Usaully white beef stock is combined with other stock.

In my case, I use chicken stock and my friend adds some pork stock too.

Also, Juice from marinated cucumber (veniger sugar and salt) is also added to the Yook-soo.

Key point for delicious Mul-Nangmyun is to freeze Yook-soo so surface of Yook-soo has some ice like slushy.

(It dosen't look good and I fortgot to put half of boild egg.)

In Korea, Jap chaie is also has many different verson.

This is sea food Jap chaie. Usually very spicy.

Saute dried hot pepper and garlic in the hot oil and add sea food.

Add pre-soaked noodle and combine all the ingredient well.

Before take off the heat add "Chily Oil".

[torakris]

Marco Polo,

thanks for the recipe! I have been using instant versions.....

mukbo, those pictures are incredible! can you give a recipe for the jajangmyun? A Korean friend used to make this for me all of the time (about 12 to 13 years ago...) but I can't remember everything he added and the Japanese recipes I have tried aren't the same...

[touaregsand]

To add to Marco Polo's recipe.

Julienne some mu (daikon radish) or cucumbers, season with salt, rub with a bit of sesame oil, Korean red pepper flakes and coat with MP's sauce. A little bit of fish sauce adds a kick.

[ellencho]

mukbo, your jajangmyun looks so good. Would you mind posting a more detailed recipe for those of us who have a tendency of botching it every time she tries?

[mukbo]

Thanks guys.

Tomorrow, I will add recipe and the picture of Jajangmyun noodle that you can purchase in the korean grocery.

************************************

The recipe is adapted from Hyang Bang Lee 's Chinese Cook book.

Chunjang ( This is the base of Jajang sauce. Sometime It is called Jajang. ) 2~3 Tbsp

Oil 2 Tbsp

Grinded(chopped) Pork 100g (3 1/2 Oz)

Chopped Midium Onion

1 Cabbage Leaf Chopped

Soy sauce 1 Tbsp

Rice wine 1 Tbsp

Sugar 1/8 ~ 1/4 tsp

water 1/2 Cup ~ 1Cup

1 Tbsp water + 1 Tbsp corn starch -> Stir well (make it right before you pour into the Jajang Sauce)

* When Chunjang is sauted with Oil, It is called Bok-um(sauted) Jajang or Jajang

1. Saute Oil and Chunjang in the low heat. Make sure that Chunjang absorb enough oil.

2. Drain Jajang's excessive oil in the colander.

3. Saute grinded pork in high heat. (I put lots of black pepper and a little bit of rice wine)

4. Add onion and cabbage and saute. ( You can add potato cube or Zucchini. )

5. Combine sauted jajang with pork and vegetable.

6. Add water into 5 and Season with soy sauce , rice wine and sugar.

(Sugar plays very important role to balance jajang's flavor)

7. Add corn starch mixture.

3. Simmer and eat ~

I'd like to garnish Jajangmyun with julienned cucumber.

Edited June 11, 2005 by mukbo (log)

[touaregsand]

A little OT, but I like the new avatar touaregsand-- and Behemoth--well, yours has always been one of my favorites...

←

Thank you Ludja. I used to have a small collection of these dolls when I was little. Alas, they went the way of Barbie dolls, headless and naked, lost somewhere.

Methinks we have solid group of Koreans here and enough interest in Korean food for a seperate Korean food forum.

[Soup]

A little OT, but I like the new avatar touaregsand-- and Behemoth--well, yours has always been one of my favorites...

←

Methinks we have solid group of Koreans here and enough interest in Korean food for a seperate Korean food forum.

←

Are all of you koreans?

[melonpan]

Are all of you koreans? 

isnt everybody korean?

[chefzadi]

Are all of you koreans? 

isnt everybody korean?

←

I'm half Korean.

[mukbo]

I am korean.

반가워요.

Edited June 11, 2005 by mukbo (log)

[torakris]

I think I was Korean in another life...