An inky black noodle dish from Korea, vegan jajangmyeon is made with a hearty mix of tofu and vegetables covered in a rich and savoury black bean sauce.
½tbspcornstarch(*can sub with potato starch or tapioca starch)
1tspsesame oil(4g)
salt(to taste)
Instructions
Jjajang Sauce
Add 1 tbsp oil to a wok or sauté pan on medium heat (reserve the remaining 1/2 tbsp of oil for Step 3).
Sauté the diced onions, tofu, zucchini, radish, and shiitake mushrooms on medium heat until soft and aromatic, around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 cup cold water, and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch in a small cup and set aside.
Use a spatula to create a small space in the center of the pan. Add the reserved 1/2 tbsp of oil followed immediately by 5 tbsp of chunjang paste. Gently fry the chunjang paste in the oil for about a minute, then mix it into everything else in the pan.
Pour over the cornstarch-water mixture. Continue to cook until sauce has thickened to your liking—shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes. You want it saucy enough to be able to luxuriously coat all the noodles. Drizzle with sesame oil and set aside.
Jjajangmyeon (Noodle option)
Bring a pot of water to a boil then add 8oz (230g) of fresh noodles or 6oz (170g) of dried noodles. Cook for the recommended time on the package, then portion into plates. Top with the jjajang sauce.
Jjajangbap (Rice option)
Cook 3/4 cup (150g) of dried rice using your preferred method (I like Stovetop Rice). Mix with jjajang sauce.
Notes
Noodle: You can also use fresh udon noodles or pasta (I recommend linguine or fettucine). In place of fresh noodles, you can use 6oz / 170g of dried noodles. If using dried noodles, increase water to 1½ cups and simmer for 8 minutes instead of 2.
Tofu: You can use any kind of firm tofu that holds up to stir-frying and braising. I have tried this recipe with stew-style fried tofu, smoked tofu, plain extra-firm tofu, and pressed bean curd. My favourite pick is unseasoned fried tofu as it has the most satisfying texture and really soaks up the flavours of the jjajang sauce!
Radish: Daikon radish has quite a strong taste and smell. It can be substituted with potatoes for a milder sauce.
Mushrooms: Small dried shiitake mushrooms will take 6 hours to rehydrate in room temperature water. Or you can use boiling hot water, which cuts the soak time down by half. Save 1 cup of the soaking water for use later on in this recipe.