Japchae with Roasted Cauliflower

January 19, 2023 Corinn Blackwell

Spiced cauliflower brightened by lemon with sweet and savory chewy noodles and crisp vegetables.

Japchae with Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 6 - 8

Seollal or Lunar New Year is this weekend, welcome year of the Rabbit. I’ve been terrible at trying to acclimate myself to celebrating Korean and American holidays over the past few years but, I got lucky with this one.

I love making japchae. It can be a bit laborious cutting and, cooking each of the vegetables individually but, for me that part is therapeutic. I’d wanted to modify my japchae recipe for a while but couldn’t think of anything I thought would work. Then my husband came home with a beautiful yellow-colored cauliflower and inspiration hit. The yellow color made me think of turmeric which made me think of coriander and cumin and suddenly, modifying japchae was possible.

Recipe Tips: 1. I used a yellow cauliflower when making this but, to get the same color and a little additional flavor, you can add 0.25 t ground turmeric to your cauliflower if desired. 2. Use mature spinach and not baby spinach for this dish. It looks better and stands up to the cooking better. 3. To make a traditional japchae, omit the cauliflower and replace with 2/3 lb of sliced ribeye or sirloin marinated in 2 t sesame oil, 1 t sesame oil, 0.50 t ground black pepper, 0.25 t sugar and 0.25 t kosher salt. Saute after the mushrooms and place in the bowl with the vegetables. Continue with the recipe as written. 4. Japchae is typically served as a side dish to a larger meal. I like to serve it with soup and banchan as a meal. 5. The traditional way to make japchae is to stir-fry the noodles and vegetables together with the sauce. It is a step that I sometimes use but not always. I have included the instructions on how to stir-fry the noodles if desired.

Ingredients

Cauliflower

908g (2 lbs) cauliflower cut into florets

3.5 T vegetable oil, divided

1T ground coriander

2 t gochugaru

1.5 t kosher salt

1 t ground black pepper

0.50 t ground cumin

0.25 t MSG

Sauce

13 garlic cloves, minced

10g (2 t) ginger, minced

6 T soy sauce

1 T yondu or soy sauce

2 T + 2 t sugar or honey

2 T sesame oil

1 T vinegar

1 T + 2 t mirin

1 T + 2 t maesil

1.50 t ground black pepper

0.50 t kosher salt

Vegetables and Noodles

567g (1.25 lb) spinach

250g (8 – 9 oz) Korean sweet potato starch noodles

320g (2 medium) carrot, julienne

120g (1 medium) red bell pepper, julienne

120g (1 medium) yellow bell pepper, julienne

300g (1 large) onion, sliced 0.25 in thick with the grain

230g (6 – 7 large) fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced 0.25 in thick

100g (8) scallions, sliced thinly on the bias added after the noodles before tossing

Finishing

1 lemon zested and juiced

Sesame seeds

Recipe Know-how

1. Preheat an oven to 200 C / 400 F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, shiny side up.
Pour 1 T of the oil onto the pan and set aside.

No need to spread the oil.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower with the remaining oil and seasonings. Set aside.
Gently massage/squeeze the cauliflower while tossing to ensure even coating.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the sauce ingredients mixing until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Add the spinach to the water and cook for 30 – 45 seconds or until bright green and tender.
Remove the spinach and run under cold water until cool.

Do not drain the water as it will be used in the next step!

Squeeze the spinach until dry and set aside.

4. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook 1 minute less than package directions.

Drain the noodles well and rinse under cold water in the strainer until cool.

Use a fine mesh strainer as the noodles will slip through anything with large holes.

Allow to continue draining until needed.

5. Place the prepared rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and gently swirl the hot oil around the pan.

Work quickly but carefully as the pan and oil are hot, but you want the cauliflower to begin sizzling immediately when placed on the pan.

This whole step should take no longer than 30 – 45 seconds.

Pour the cauliflower onto the pan in an even layer and place in the bottom portion of the oven.
Cook for 15 minutes rotating the pan halfway through.

Continue on with Step 6 while the cauliflower cooks.

After 15 minutes, move the pan to the upper portion of the oven and cook 5 – 7 minutes longer or until well browned on top.
On the pan, sprinkle with the lemon zest and about 2 t of lemon juice. Toss together well and set aside.

6. Heat a large non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat with 1 t sesame oil.

Use the same pan to cook all of the vegetables. Do not wash in between.

Add 1 t sesame oil as necessary between vegetables while sauteing.

Add the carrots and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute 5 – 6 minutes or until tender-crisp. Remove to a large mixing bowl.
Add the bell peppers and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute 3 – 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Remove to the bowl with the carrots.
Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Saute 3 – 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Remove to the bowl with the vegetables.
Add the spinach to the bowl with the vegetables, gently shaking it apart into individual pieces.
Add the mushrooms to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute 5 – 6 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add 2 T of the sauce and cook until absorbed and thickened slightly. Remove to the bowl with the vegetables.
Add the noodles and scallions to the bowl with the vegetables and toss together with ¾ of the remaining sauce.

Optionally, you can add 1 t of sesame oil to the pan along with the noodles and half of the sauce. Saute stirring constantly until heated through and the sauce is absorbed, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add to the bowl with the vegetables along with the scallions and toss well.

Allow the japchae to stand for 10 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and remaining sauce and toss well.

7. Serve topping with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of the lemon juice and buchu kimchi.