Japchae! Well, sort of. Korean inspired stir fried glass noodles

One of my favorite sides at Korean restaurants is Japchae. Its a cold or warm stir fry dish of sweet potato noodles and various veggies and sometimes beef. Its tasty, savory, filling, but not heavy, and full of healthy things.

However, I knew that making japchae (like making bimbimbap) requires many steps. All the vegetables are prepared one by one so that they retain the cleanest flavors. So with fair warning, this recipe does take some time. I think the results are totally worth it, but only if you're making 4+ servings.

The type of noodles used in japchae are also not easy to find unless you're around a specialty store. I cheated and used bean strings (mai fun) which is a thin rice noodle. The rice noodle also requires no boiling, just a soak and a quick fry in the pan. The results are similar enough where I would happily substitute mai fun in the future!

Recipe courtesy of Transparent Korean Language Blog.

Spicy Eggplant Tofu

After my two week vacation, I wanted to detox a little and get my eating habits back in order. I'm typically vegetarian 4 days out of 7 and I've definitely trying to pack lunches more often too.  I made a run to Chinatown and picked up some eggplant and tofu, among other things. I wanted something savory tasting, but not too heavy feeling, and this is what I got!

Spicy Eggplant with Silken Tofu 

1 block silken tofu

2 medium Chinese eggplant, in 1/3rd inch thick half moons

1 tablespoon sugar

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 coin ginger, minced

1 large tomato, chopped

1 large pinch red chili flakes

1 star anise

1 teaspoon gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

4 leaves basil

Optional: Cornstarch

1. Drain water from silken tofu container. Turn tofu out of container and onto a plate. Cut the tofu into 1.5 inch cubes and spread out into a single layer, gently. Sprinkle with salt (you'll use about two teaspoons). Allow water to drain from tofu for about 30 minutes.
2. Wash and cut the eggplant. In a bowl, toss with the sugar. 
3. Prep the onion, garlic, ginger, and tomato. 
4. Heat a large saute pan with two tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil.
5. Pan fry the eggplant for 2-4 minutes on medium high heat.
6. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
7. Add the tomato, star anise, chili flakes, gochujang, and  vinegar. Saute 2 minutes.
8. Drain the tofu again. Add the tofu to the pan and fold in lightly, trying to maintain the shape of the tofu. 
9. Reduce heat to medium. More water will drain from the tomato. Allow to simmer off until you have a thicker gravy. You can also cheat and make a cornstarch and water slurry to thicken it. 
10. Serve over rice.