Jajangmyeon (Korean Black Bean Noodle) is a beloved dish in Korea. Dated back to 1905, this dish was introduced to Korean eaters through a restaurant in Incheon city’s Chinatown and to this day, Jajangmyeon is probably one of the most iconic dishes in Korean cuisine that has been recognised worldwide.
Jajangmyeon is very easy to prepare at home, but it is very important to fry the black bean paste before cooking this dish. This step will help to remove the bitter taste from the paste and enhance its flavour to the next level. Due to its salty characteristic, seasoning such as salt or soy sauce is not needed, but sugar is a very essential component to balance out the overall taste of the whole dish.
Pork is the common protein to be used in Jajangmyeon but you always can use chicken, beef or even seafood. Join me in the kitchen and let’s cook this delicious Chinese inspired Korean dish!
(Recipe video coming this Saturday)
THE RECIPE
Jajangmyeon (Korean Black Bean Noodle)
Serving 2-3 people
| Prep time | Cook time |
|---|---|
| 20 mins | 20 mins |
Ingredients:
| Chicken thigh boneless/skinless | 1kg |
| Potatoes | 200g |
| Cabbage | 150g |
| Onion | 1/2 |
| Minced garlic | 20g |
| sugar | 30g |
| Korean black bean paste | 150g |
| Korean noodles |
Method:
1. Small dice all the ingredients then set aside.
2. Place a deep pot or frying pan over low heat, when the pot is hot add some oil, then add the Korean black bean paste, cook the paste for 5 minutes then remove it from the pot.
3. In the same pot add the garlic, stir frying it until fragrant then add diced chicken thigh, slightly cook it then add the diced potatoes, cabbage and onion.
4. Add the black bean paste back to the pot, discard any excess oil. Stir well so all the ingredients is nicely coated in the paste. Add water if needed.
5. Season the sauce with sugar and let the sauce simmering until all the ingredients are cooked.
6. Cook the Korean noodles following the package intructions.
7. When all the ingredient is cook, your Jajangmyeon is ready to serve up!
8. Pour the sauce over the noodles and garnish with some thin strips of cucumber, enjoy!