Jajangmyun (Korean Black Bean Paste Noodles)

I had a hankering for noodles and Korean food last night so I made jajangmyun and dukboki (spicy rice cakes) for dinner. According to wikipedia, jajangmyun is a popular Korean noodle dish that originated from the Chinese zha jiang mien. The sauce of the jajangmyun is made with black bean paste called chunjang, which can be purchased at any Korean market, and usually stir fried with ground meat and diced vegetables. The sauce is served hot on top of Korean wheat noodles. The first time I had jajangmyun was from Nong Shim - yes, instant!


Now I make my own at home. It is very easy and effortless to make this dish. I don't remember where I got the original recipe but here is my adaptation.

JaJangmyun (Korean Black Bean Paste Noodles)
Serves 4

1 package Korean noodles (or thin udon)

vegetable oil
4 T chunjang (Korean black bean paste)
1/4 lb. ground pork
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 T garlic, minced
1 T ginger, minced
2 tsp sugar
1 cup water

1 T cornstarch
2 T water

cucumber, shredded
green onions, chopped

1. Heat a small skillet with 2 T oil and stir fry jajang over medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes, drain extra oil and set aside
2. Boil water in a large pot and cook noodles according to the package for a few minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water so the noodles do not stick (you may have to reheat noodles to eat hot later).
3. Heat 1/2 T oil in wok or large skillet and stir fry garlic and ginger until fragrant. Stir in ground pork and keep cooking until almost cooked.
4. Add diced onions and carrots until everything is cooked. Stir in jajang, 1 cup of water, and sugar. Keep cooking until water boils vigorously.
5. Mix cornstarch with water and slowly stir into the sauce until the mixture becomes a thick and heavy consistency.
6. In a bowl, place cooked noodles and pour jajang mixture over and garnish with cucumbers and green onions.