Easy Halal Jajangmyeon Recipe: The Iconic Korean Noodle Dish You Need To Make

There are some Korean dishes that have become super popular amongst us Southeast Asians, including Kimchi fried rice, bibimbap and kimchi jjigae. But another dish that's definitely become iconic is jajangmyeon or jjajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodles)! This interesting dish of yellow noodles serves with a black bean sauce is a fascinating combination of Korean-Chinese cuisines that's much-loved, both in South Korea and now in our part of the world too (thanks to all the K-variety shows! 😂). And like many easy Korean dishes, it's simple to whip up at home! We have a great and easy halal jajangmyeon recipe so you can recreate this dish in your own kitchen. Note: For this dish, the key ingredient you'll need is halal chunjang, the black bean paste that gives the dish its dark colour and flavour. Nowadays you can find halal chunjang online in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. We also have a full list of where to find halal Korean food products online in Singapore that shares more places you can find halal chunjang and other items! Ingredients (serves 2) Black bean sauce seasoning:

• 4 tbsp chunjang (Korean Heatblack bean paste)
• 1 tsp honey or sugar
•  Pinch of black pepper 

Sauce thickener (ingredients should be mixed together to form a slurry):

• 2 tbsp potato starch (or corn starch)
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ cup water

Other ingredients:

• 350g fresh wheat noodles of your choice, boiled in hot water until tender, drained and rinsed with cold water.
• 200g chicken, cubed (or you can use any other meat of your choice!)
• ½ zucchini, diced into small cubes
• 1 potato, diced into small cubes
• ½ carrot, diced into small cubes
• ½ onion, diced
• ½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks (for garnishing)
• 1.5 - 2 cups water
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Directions

1. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Add cubed chicken and stir-fry until cooked through.
2. Add in the cubed vegetables and cook for a few minutes.
3. Create a well in the middle of the ingredients and add a bit more oil, then add chunjang, honey/sugar and black pepper. Stir-fry chunjang mixture for a few minutes until fragrant. Note: if your paste comes pre-fried (usually called jjajang paste instead of chunjang paste), then you can skip this step.
4.  Add the water (enough to cover the ingredients)and mix everything together well. Cover and cook until vegetables are all tender (about 5 - 7 minutes) 
5. Once vegetables are tender, stir in the starch slurry little by little, continuously stirring as you do until mixture thickens.
6. Once the mixture has reached a thick consistency, add the sesame oil, mix in and turn off the heat.
7. Add your noodles to bowls, then ladle over the sauce. Garnish with the cucumber matchsticks and serve.

Notes:

1. You can substitute veggies for anything you have on hand, like peas, corn, radishes, cabbage, etc.

Jajangmyeon is a simple recipe to whip up at home, and now that halal Korean ingredients are easier to find, there's no excuse not to make this dish! Get your hands on some chunjang or jajang paste and make this to enjoy at home while binge-watching your favourite Korean shows.  

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