Vegan Jajangmyeon ( Korean spicy black bean noodles)
It is a popular korean noodle dish containing noodles topped with thick black gravy made of chunjang, vegetables and meat.
Chunjang is spicy korean black bean paste givind umami taste and is made mainly from salty fermented soya bean paste and coloured with sweet caramel. (Cunjang paste is available on Amazone as well as Urban Platter.)
For the vegan version, we omit meat completely and add more veggies..!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup noodle of your choice- uncooked
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cabbage
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot and green beans
( Add your choice of veggies like- mushroom, zucchini, celery, green onions, raddish etc.)
3 tbsp Chunjang paste (if not available: Substitue chunjang paste with 2 tbsp dark soy sauce+ ½ tbsp green chilly paste+1 tsp sugar)
1 tsp sugar
Salt as per taste (Note: Chunjang as well as Soyabean paste has salt in it. So keep it in mind)
1.5 tsp Corn starch/ Potato starch + 1 tbsp water at room temp
1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar/ regular vinegar
1 cucumber chopped in 2 inch fingers
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds.
1 tbsp sesame oil/ any oil
½ cup water
METHOD:
1.Heat oil in a pan and add onions- saute till light brown.
2.Add vegetables and saute till half cooked.
3.Add Chunjang paste, sugar and vinegar and cook till sugar melts.
Note: Dark soya sauce can be used if Chunjang is not available. Taste may differ slightly but still taste will be great…! See note on substitution in ingredient list.
4.Add ½ cup of water to the sauce and let it boil.
5. Dissolve 1.5 tsp corn starch in 1 tbsp water and add to the sauce. Stirr well until sauce thickens. Turn off the flame.
6. Now taste salt and add salt according to the taste preference.
7. In a large cooking pot, boil 500 ml water and salt. Cook noodles of your choice. Drain Noodles and wash with cold water and let them drain completely. Any noodle will do best with this recipe- your instant noodles, store brought noodles or homemade noodles…!
8.Take a serving bowl and put drained noodles in it. Pour our Black bean sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds and garnish with cucumber fingers.
9. Mix together noodles and sauce and slurp it up…!
Let me know if you like the recipe and leave your suggestions in the comments..!