Jjajangmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)

Ingredients

• 2-3 servings of jjajangmyeon noodles (boil and drain according to package instructions just before serving)
• 1/2 pound pork belly, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups’ worth) 
• 1 cup Korean radish (or daikon), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 cup’s worth) 
• 1 cup zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
• 1 cup potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
• 1 1/2 cups onion chunks 
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1/4 cup and 1 Tablespoon black bean paste (chunjang)
• 2 Tablespoons of potato starch powder (or cornstarch), combined with 1/4 cup water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar in a small bowl, set aside 
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 
• 1/2 cup cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks for garnish 
• *Water for boiling the noodles 

Directions 

1. Make the jjajang sauce: Stir-fry the pork belly in a large, deep wok with 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil for about 4-5 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 1/4 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). 

Make jjajangmyeon: (Noodles for jjajangmyeon can be found at Korean grocery stores. The noodles are thick and chewy.) 

1. Boil and drain the noodles. Rinse and strain in cold water. 
2. Put one serving of noodles onto a serving plate and add the jjajang sauce over top. Garnish with cucumber strips and serve immediately with kimchi or yellow pickled radish. 

Make jjajangbap (Rice in Black Bean Sauce)

1. Make one serving of rice, and add the jjajang sauce over top.
2. Garnish with cucumber strips on top of the jjajang sauce and serve it with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.