Tag: bean sauce noodles

Jajangmyeon: K-C & The Sunshine Noodle Bowls

Jajangmyeon: K-C & The Sunshine Noodle Bowls

Another cold and rainy day in normally sunny California. To combat the soggy blues I pulled out my favorite therapy tools. A pot, a bowl, and a package of NOODLES. When you think comfort food, don’t tell me a fork, a knife, and a plate pop up in your mind.  Me? A bowl, a big spoon, and a pair of chopsticks, that’s what I reach for.
The plan was to make a bowl of yummylicious noodles, curl up on the sofa and watch the new episode of Romance is a Bonus Book on Netflix. Yes, my current favorite Korean series.
I had a hankering for Zha Jiang Mian for my “TV dinner”  which got me thinking why not a mash-up of the Korean & Chinese versions of Zha Jiang Mian?  I started with my recipe for Zha Jiang Mian, I didn’t want to re-invent the wheel, I just wanted to tweak it.  The sauce for my original recipe contains pork, aromatics, and the bean pastes.  Veggies are julienned and added to the finished dish.  I love the play on textures, the crunch of the cucumbers and carrots with the soft noodles and flavor-packed sauce filled with chunks of ground pork, it’s delicious.

Contrast this with the Korean version 짜장면 where a variety of veggies are cooked in the sauce.  The play on textures is much more subtle but just as yummy.  A variety of veggies went into my K-bowl version.  I used diced zucchini, carrots, and potatoes. The carrots added some bite, the zucchini added moisture and that characteristic melt-y center and crispness from the skin.  But my favorite addition is the diced potatoes (Yukon, don’t use Russets, too starchy).  Potatoes have a characteristic dense, yet creamy feel, so good-like the center of perfectly cooked potato wedges.  I used ground pork in my K-version, but often the pork is diced like the vegetables.  Your choice.

Try both versions and tell me which one you like best although I think you’ll find both are equally delicious!

Zha Jiang Mian 2 Ways

Zha Jiang Mian Korean style and Chinese Style, both delicious!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Zha Jiang Mian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. ground pork
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon oil plus 1 tablespoon
  • teaspoon white pepper
  • 3 slices ginger minced finely
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons sweet bean sauce I used 2 T Hoisin/1 T Sweet Ben Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons ground bean paste Reduce to 2 T
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 8 oz. fresh noodles flour-based noodle. Fresh or dry. I've used udon and a combination of spinach and plain

Additional Chinese Ingredients

  • 4-6 fresh shiitake mushrooms* finely chopped
  • 1 cup julienned carrots
  • 1 cup julienned cucumbers
  • ½ cup julienned scallions garnish

Additional Korean Ingredients

  • 3 fresh shiitake mushrooms diced
  • 1 medium Yukon Gold Potato* 1/2 inch dice for Korean version
  • 1 small zucchini 1/2 inch dice for Korean version
  • 1/2 cup carrots 1/2 inch dice for Korean version
  • 1/2 small yellow onion diced
  • 1/4 head cabbage shredded, optional
  • 1/2 cup green onions chopped
  • 1/2 cup cucumbers diced

Instructions

  • Marinade the pork with the following for 15 minutes: ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon oil, ⅛ teaspoon white pepper.
  • Heat a tablespoon oil in your wok over medium heat, add the marinated ground pork to the wok. Cook for a minute to brown it, and then add the ginger, garlic, and mushrooms* Stir fry everything together for another 2-3 minutes.
  • **Add the Hoisin, sweet bean sauce, bean paste, dark soy sauce, and water, stirring everything together well. Lower the heat and cover the wok. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
  • Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions.
  • Top noodles with the sauce and garnish with the julienned carrots, cucumbers, and scallions.

Korean Style*

  • Stir fry pork, ginger, and garlic for 30 seconds add diced vegetables.  Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Continue with recipe**
  •  If you like, add shredded cabbage in the last couple of minutes of cooking.  
  • Place a mound of noodles in your bowl, top with sauce and garnish with cucumber and green onions.  Plop yourself down in front of the telly and enjoy!