Korean Black Bean Sauce Noodles – Jajangmyeon

INTRODUCTION

Maybe one of the best Korean dishes is Jajangmyeon, noodles flavored with spicy black beans. The main ingredients stand for a bitter and sweet taste in this dish. Therefore, it is considered to be a comfort food not only for Koreans but for everyone. It is especially enjoyed on “Black Day”, a festival celebrated by singles in Korea. This food is usually served on special occasions and is very special on this day. Learn how to make delicious Jajangmyeon at home through this guide!

What is Jajangmyeon?

It is a popular noodle dish made with black beans. This sauce is made from chunking (춘장), aka salted black soybean paste, diced pork (or another type of meat), and vegetables. If you go to any Korean Chinese restaurant, you will find it easily.

There are several hypotheses about when Jajangmyeon first came to Korea, but it was officially first introduced in 1905 at a restaurant called Gonghwachun (賵화춘), located in Chinatown in Incheon, Korea. It was first introduced by Chinese traders, but over time its taste changed to suit the preferences of Koreans.

This is a dish that is quite common and easy to get. However, when I was a child, I would only eat it on very special occasions, such as the day of the school fair or the day of the school entrance and graduation ceremony. So, you can understand how important Jajangmyeon is not only to me but to most Koreans.

What is Korean Black Day

Korean Black Day, celebrated on April 14, is a special day when people who did not receive any gifts or presents on Valentine’s Day (February 14) or White Day (March 14) come together to enjoy Jajangmyeon . Jajangmyeon are a type of noodles topped with black bean sauce. On this day, single people come together to share their disappointments and enjoy this dish. This is a chance for them to come together and share their feelings.

Types of Korean black bean noodles

• Jjajangmeyon: When the word “jajangmyeon” has no other adjective, it means normal jjajangmyeon, also known as “rental jajangmyeon”. “Yetnal” means “from the past” or “classic.” In this type of chutney, water or stock and some starch slurry is added to thicken it. The chutney formed in the end is a bit thin.
• Ganjjajangmyeon: While making this dish, neither water, stock, nor any thickener is used in the chutney. Therefore, the chutney is dry and the amount of solid ingredients in each dish is high.
• Samseon jjajangmyeon: “Samseon” means fresh ingredients from land, sea, and sky, but in Korean-Chinese cuisine, it is more commonly used to refer to dishes containing seafood. Additionally, the menu also includes “Samsen Ganjanjangmyeon”, called “삼선간짜장면”.
• Euni jjajangmyeon: Jajangmyeon is made with ground meat.
• Jaengban jjajang: The noodles are lightly fried with sauce, and then put into a large plate and shared with everyone.

Variations

• Add some seafood such as shrimp and calamari (dried fish) to the dish. When the vegetables are almost cooked, you can add them to the pan.
• If you like spicy foods, you can add some gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) or gochugaru (pickled red peppers).
• For something different from the usual dish of noodles, serve Kajang sauce over cooked rice. This special dish is known as “jajangbap” (짜장밥). This is a delicious option that you will definitely love.

Ingredients

Main

• 1 kg fresh jajangmyeon noodles (or you can use udon noodles or kalguksu noodles) (35 oz.)
• 1 large onion (150g / 5.3 ounces)
• 1 medium zucchini (110g / 3.9 ounces)
• 2 large potatoes (470g / 1 pound)
• 7 large button mushrooms (240g / 0.5 pounds)
• 1/4 small cabbage (160g / 5.6 ounces)
• 600 g diced pork (1.3 pounds)

Pork marinade sauce

• 1 Tbsp rice wine (or mirin)
• 5 sprinkles of ground salt
• 5 sprinkles of ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder

Korean black bean sauce

• 6 Tbsp Korean black bean paste (Chunjang)
• 90 g Lard (or 6 Tbsp cooking oil – e.g. rice bran oil)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp rice wine (or mirin)
• 1 cup chicken stock (as pure and natural as possible)
• 1 cup water
• slurry (potato starch 5 Tbsp + water 4 Tbsp)

Toppings

• 1 large cucumber (150g / 5.3 ounces)
• Peas or sweet corn (from a tin, optional)
• Hard-boiled egg (optional)

Instructions

Preparation

1. Firstly, wash the pork thoroughly with cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Then season the meat with the pork marinade sauce. After mixing it well, keep it aside for about fifteen minutes so that the meat absorbs the spices properly.
2. Cut a small amount of onion, zucchini, and potatoes into small cubes.
3. Cut the mushrooms into thin slices.
4. Cut the cabbage into small to medium-sized pieces.
5. Cut the cucumber into long thin pieces in julienne style.

Cooking

1. Preheat the wok until the bottom is hot enough. Add the lard (or frying oil) to the wok and heat until completely melted. Then add black bean paste and keep stirring continuously for three to five minutes on medium flame. (Take care not to let it burn.) Now add brown sugar and keep stirring for two to three minutes.
2. Take out the black bean paste with a spoon, leaving the oil aside, and keep it aside. Leave the oil in the wok for use in the next step.
3. Now add the pork to the wok and stir with a wooden spoon until it is half cooked. When the onions, zucchini, and potatoes are about one-third cooked, add them to the wok and stir for three to five minutes.
4. Then add mushrooms and cabbage and stir for two to three minutes.
5. Now add the black bean paste prepared in the second step into the wok and mix it with the vegetables. Stir for one to two minutes.
6. Next add the rice wine, chicken stock, and water, then simmer the mixture over medium heat for five to seven minutes. (If possible, cover the wok with a lid, this will speed up the cooking process.)
7. Stir continuously in the wok after pouring the slurry into it. This will thicken the black sauce. This is the last step in preparing the sauce made of black beans.
8. As you prepare step 7, boil a pot of water. Then, as this reaches a boil, add the noodles. Boil them for three to five minutes, or until the noodles are completely cooked.
9. Wash the noodles in cold water and then drain. Place them in a serving bowl or plate.
10. Pour the black bean sauce prepared in Step 8 over the noodles. You can serve it as is or garnish it with cucumber slices, green peas, sweet corn or boiled eggs.
11. Mix the noodles and sauce well with chopsticks. Enjoy it. (They taste best with pickled yellow radish, which is said to be beneficial for digestion. Also, eat the noodles quickly, before they swell, to retain their original flavor.)

Tips

• Black Bean Paste: To add authentic flavor, high-quality Korean black bean paste ‘Chunjang’ needs to be used. This can be easily obtained in Asian grocery stores.
• Vegetarian Version: This can easily be turned into a vegetarian dish by merely removing the meat, more vegetables, or mushrooms for additional flavors.
• Customize Your Vegetables: You could add any of the other vegetables that you desire, such as carrots or capsicum, or merely substitute them fully with any other vegetable.

CONCLUSION

Jajangmyan is a wonderful and comforting dish, perfect for making a warm meal at home. This dish has a very distinctive flavor and mouth feeling, which has made it a popular favorite. Enjoy this Korean Black Bean Sauce Noodles any day of the week with this simple recipe. Prepare all the required ingredients and immerse yourself in this adventure of flavors!

FAQ’s