HOW TO PREPARE JAJANGMYEON.

Jajangmyeon is a popular Korean-Chinese noodle dish with a black bean sauce. Here’s a basic recipe for Jajangmyeon:

Ingredients:
200g of jajangmyeon noodles (You can use udon or fresh wheat noodles if you can’t find the specific jajangmyeon noodles.)
150g of pork belly or pork shoulder, diced
1 cup of diced onion
1/2 cup of diced zucchini
1/2 cup of diced potato
1/2 cup of diced carrot
4 tablespoons of black bean paste (chunjang)
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 cups of water or chicken/vegetable stock
2 teaspoons of cornstarch (dissolved in 4 teaspoons of water) to thicken the sauce
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce (optional)
Sliced cucumber for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
Preparation of ingredients: Dice all the vegetables and pork. Dissolve the cornstarch in water and set it aside.

Cook the pork: In a large pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the diced pork and cook until it’s no longer pink.

Vegetables: Add the onion to the pan and sauté until translucent. Then add the potato, carrot, and zucchini. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.

Black bean paste: Push the meat and vegetables to one side of the pan, and in the empty space, add the black bean paste. Stir-fry the paste for 1-2 minutes until it’s fragrant. Then mix everything together.

Add the liquid: Add the sugar and then pour in the water or stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the pork is fully cooked.

Thicken the sauce: Stir in the cornstarch mixture and keep stirring until the sauce has thickened. If you’re using oyster sauce, add it now and mix well.

Cook the noodles: While the sauce is simmering, boil a pot of water and cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water to remove excess starch.

Serve: Divide the noodles among serving bowls. Pour the sauce over the noodles. Garnish with sliced cucumbers if desired.

Enjoy your Jajangmyeon with some kimchi or pickled radishes on the side for a complete meal!