Make Jjajangmyeon (Korean Black Bean Noodles) Like How Wok Of Love Does It!

Warning: Don't watch Wok of Love when you're hungry. We found the recipe of the famous "Jjajangmyeon" and you can get all the ingredients here in Singapore. Yaass.

The story revolves around three characters.

Seo Poong is a young talented chef in a hotel restaurant. His fiancé, Dal-Hee cheats on him with the hotel’s CEO. On top of that, he was also framed by the hotel CEO. Tragic.  

Dan Sae-Woo's wealthy father was arrested on her wedding day. At the same time, her wedding was cancelled because her fiancé didn’t show up.

Doo Chil-Seong, a loanshark/gangster who owns a failing Chinese Restaurant. He is also a young chef who works at a restaurant in a renowned hotel. He swears revenge after he was framed by the hotel CEO and lost his wife to the same person.

Fate brought the three together and they ended up working in the same small Chinese restaurant, right across the hotel that the chef was kicked out of.

Photo from Viu

Seo Poong decides to take over the restaurant and bring all the customers over from the hotel restaurant. His Chinese restaurant finally opens.

However, while the storyline was interesting, it’s hard to not drool at the mouth-watering dishes,  namely the Jjajangmyeon, Sweet and Sour Pork and Soup Dumpling.

Nearly all 38 episodes featured shots of Chef Seo Poong working the wok and ladle, making fresh Jjajangmyeon or Korean Black Bean Noodles. The other Korean Chinese dishes he made was the sweet and sour pork as well as soup dumpling. With all the Korean supermarkets popping up around our island, we just might make it as good as Chef Poong.

Photo from pinterest

Here is the Jjajangmyeon Recipe for you to try out!

For 2-3 servings, you will need

• jjajangmyeon noodles
• ½ pound pork belly, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 1½ cups’ worth)
• 1 cup of Korean radish (or daikon), cut into ½ inch cubes (about 1 cup’s worth)
• 1 cup of zucchini, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 cup of potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1½ cups of onion chunks
• 3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
• ¼ cup and 1 Tablespoon of black bean paste
• 2 Tablespoons of potato starch powder, combined with ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl, set aside
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• ½ cup cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks for garnish
• water

Now to make sure your Jjajangmyeon starts off right in terms of flavours,

1. Start by frying the pork belly with vegetable oil for about 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
2. Pour out the excess pork fat.
3. Add radish and stir-fry for 1 minute.
4. Add potato, onion, and zucchini and keep stirring for about 3 minutes until the potato looks a little translucent.
5. Clear a space in the center of the wok by pushing the ingredients to the edges.
6. Add 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil to the center of the wok, then add ¼ cup of black bean paste and stir it with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to fry it. Then mix everything in the wok and keep stirring.
7. Add  2 cups of water to the wok and let it cook with the lid closed for about 10 minutes.
8. Open the lid and taste a sample of the radish and potato. If they’re fully cooked, stir in the starch water little by little. Keep stirring until it’s well mixed and thick.
9. Add the sesame oil and remove from the heat.
10. Serve with noodles (jjajangmyeon) or steamed rice (jjajangbap).

You can get the noodles from any Korean supermarket!

You can view the full recipe here

www.maangchi.com/recipe/jjajangmyeon

While you are working the wok, just remember Chef Poong’s words “Wok, ladle, wok, ladle.” and you’re on you’re way to making a great bowl of Jjajangmyeon.

Text By: Girlstyle SG