Jajangmyun (Chajangmyun, Jjajang myun) is one of the most popular noodle dishes in Korea. It is the Korean adaptation of a Chinese black bean noodle dish with the same name, and you can find it in every Chinese restaurant in Korea. It's delicious and satisfying but inexpensive to buy or make, so it's a favorite home-cooked or takeout meal among almost all Koreans.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 2 cups black bean paste (chunjang, but it might also say jajang on the package)
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 6 cups water
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (I like to use a combination of sweet and white potatoes)
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 cups pork loin, diced
- 4 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 3 lbs flat, thick noodles (dry or fresh). If you can't find these, you can also use buckwheat, udon, or linguine noodles.
Preparation:
- In a large oiled skillet or wok, saute pork and potatoes for 2-3 minutes.
- Add onion and zucchini and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add bean paste, sesame oil, sugar, and garlic to the pan, stirring to combine.
- Saute for 3-4 minutes.
- Add 6 cups of water and the carrots and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to simmer.
- Mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup cold water and pour into sauce to thicken.
- Cook for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Prepare noodles according to package directions.
- Place a large helping of noodles in a big soup bowl. Ladle the jajang sauce over the noodles (myun).
- Serve with sliced raw onions and white vinegar on the side (to splash onto the noodles).
