PALEO JAPCHAE
PALEO JAPCHAE

Japchae is a Korean dish made from sweet potato noodles stir fried with various vegetables and beef. Sweet potato noodles are made from sweet potato starch and water and can be found at most Asian markets and are also available online. A traditional version would usually include soy sauce and sugar, but I substituted coconut aminos and a little raw honey for this paleo friendly version.
I like to throw in as many seasonal vegetables as possible to give this dish a lot of flavor. I used white mushrooms because that was all that was available at the time, but you can also use shitake and/or oyster mushrooms as well.
If you are trying to avoid starches but want to create a similar dish, you can use 4-5 large zucchini and a spiral vegetable slicer or a julienne slicer to make zucchini noodles instead of using the sweet potato noodles. Place the zucchini noodles in a colander in the sink, toss them with a few dashes of sea salt, and allow the moisture to drain for about 20 minutes. Then wring them out gently with a few paper towels to remove the last of the moisture. Skip the boiling of the noodles and add the zucchini noodles to the pan at the beginning of Step 5 instead. Enjoy!
I like to throw in as many seasonal vegetables as possible to give this dish a lot of flavor. I used white mushrooms because that was all that was available at the time, but you can also use shitake and/or oyster mushrooms as well.
If you are trying to avoid starches but want to create a similar dish, you can use 4-5 large zucchini and a spiral vegetable slicer or a julienne slicer to make zucchini noodles instead of using the sweet potato noodles. Place the zucchini noodles in a colander in the sink, toss them with a few dashes of sea salt, and allow the moisture to drain for about 20 minutes. Then wring them out gently with a few paper towels to remove the last of the moisture. Skip the boiling of the noodles and add the zucchini noodles to the pan at the beginning of Step 5 instead. Enjoy!
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Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp. bacon fat/lard or tallow
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 pound sirloin steaks, patted dry and cut into 1/4" thick slices
- 2 large carrots, julienned
- 1 cup chopped green onion
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped
- 2 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
- 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 2 Tbsp. raw honey
- 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1/3 pound sweet potato noodles (Or see recipe description for lower starch option)
- Sea salt (to taste)
- Ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds (for garnish)
Equipment:
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Julienne slicer
- Large saucepan
- Large Skillet
- Cooking tongs
- Colander
- Measuring cups and spoons
Directions:
1. Place a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil. Heat 3 tbsp. of bacon fat/lard or tallow in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and steak and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, green onion, bell pepper, and broccoli and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the spinach and mushrooms and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Add the coconut aminos, raw honey and toasted sesame seed oil to the pan and toss to coat. Turn off the heat and set skillet/wok aside.
4. Once the large pot of water has started boiling, add the sweet potato noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water while tossing gently with your hand to separate, and then add to noodles to the skillet/wok.
5. Heat the skillet/wok for about 2-3 mintues over medium high heat or until heated through, tossing all ingredients to combine. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.
6. Remove from the pan, garnish with sesame seeds and serve.
- 3 Tbsp. bacon fat/lard or tallow
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 pound sirloin steaks, patted dry and cut into 1/4" thick slices
- 2 large carrots, julienned
- 1 cup chopped green onion
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped
- 2 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
- 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 2 Tbsp. raw honey
- 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1/3 pound sweet potato noodles (Or see recipe description for lower starch option)
- Sea salt (to taste)
- Ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds (for garnish)
Equipment:
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Julienne slicer
- Large saucepan
- Large Skillet
- Cooking tongs
- Colander
- Measuring cups and spoons
Directions:
1. Place a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil. Heat 3 tbsp. of bacon fat/lard or tallow in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and steak and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, green onion, bell pepper, and broccoli and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the spinach and mushrooms and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Add the coconut aminos, raw honey and toasted sesame seed oil to the pan and toss to coat. Turn off the heat and set skillet/wok aside.
4. Once the large pot of water has started boiling, add the sweet potato noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water while tossing gently with your hand to separate, and then add to noodles to the skillet/wok.
5. Heat the skillet/wok for about 2-3 mintues over medium high heat or until heated through, tossing all ingredients to combine. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.
6. Remove from the pan, garnish with sesame seeds and serve.