Instant jja jang myun has come a long way since Jjapaghetti.
Though the above noodles are from a semi-instant package of Jja Jang Myun, I am sharing a recipe for homemade Jja Jang Myun by request. There is also a list of links to other recipe resources at the end of this post.
Jja Jang Myun / 짜장면
based almost completely on a recipe from a cookbook that one of my Mom’s friends wrote, Korean Cooking for You
Jja Jang Myun Ingredients:
½ pounds jja jang myun noodles/thin udon
½ pound lean pork, sliced into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into bite size pieces
½ teaspoon rice wine
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1 medium onion, ½-inch dice
1 medium potato, ½-inch dice
1 medium zucchini, ½-inch dice
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Jja Jang Myun Sauce Ingredients:
3 tablespoons dark soybean paste
1 tablespoon soybean paste
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon ginger juice
1 cup stock
1/8 teaspoon vinegar
1 green onion, chopped
Jja Jang Myun Garnish and Accompaniments:
½ cucumber, julienned
½ mediun onion sliced
1 tablespoon dark soybean paste
Jja Jang Myun Directions:
In a small bowl, combine sliced lean pork, 1 teaspoon rice wine, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. In another small bowl, combine shrimp, ½ teaspoon rice wine, and ½ teaspoon cornstarch. Let both stand for 2 minutes
Stir fry pork over medium heat until pork is cooked. Remove from pan, add oil, then stir fry shrimp over medium-low heat until shrimp turns pink.
Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt over zucchini and let stand. Meanwhile, stir fry onions and potatoes in lightly oiled frying pan until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan, add frying oil, and stir fry salted zucchini.
Boil jja jang myun noodles until tender firm. Drain water, rinse noodles, and divide among serving bowls.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saute pan. Add dark soybean paste and stir for about 10 seconds to heat through. Add all remaining Seasoning Ingredients and stir to combine. Add pork, shrimp, onions, potatoes, and zucchini, and allow to cook at low simmer about 5-7 minutes.
Top noodles with sauce and garnish with julienned cucumbers. Serve with sliced onion and dark soybean paste as accompaniments.
(My personal preference is to add as much goh chu jahng as my sinuses and sensibilities can handle.)
More Jja Jang Myun Recipe/Resources:
~ Maangchi makes jja jang myun on video
~ a lightly less complicated recipe that uses pre-made jja-jang sauce
~ good call on adding garlic to the sauce and diced carrots to the standard onions and potatoes
~ I’ve tried Jja Jang Myun in LA at Mandarin House, The Dragon, and Shin Peking. They’re all about the same. I love China Gate, but that just may be loyalty by forced frequency.
