Japchae (Korean Stir Fried Noodles) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

korean starch noodles (dangmyun)
150 g beef (optional)
1 bunch spinach
1 medium size carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
1 medium size onion, sliced thinly
5 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 cups sliced white mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced
7 -8 green onions, cut into 7 cm long pieces
4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
4 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
olive oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Soak 5 dried shitake mushrooms in warm water for a few hours until they become soft. Squeeze the water out of them and slice thinly.
Boil 2 bunches of noodles in boiling water in a big pot for about 3 minutes. When the noodles are soft, drain them and put in a large bowl.
Cut the noodles several times by using scissors and add 1 tbs of soy sauce and 1 tbs of sesame oil. Mix it up and set aside.
*tip: Take one sample and taste it to see whether or not it's cooked properly. If it feels soft, it's finished.
In the boiling water, add a bunch of spinach and stir it gently for 1 minute. Then take it out and rinse it in cold water 3 times. Remove any grit or dead leaves thoroughly while rinsing. Squeeze it gently to get the water out, then cut it into 5 cm pieces. Add 1/2 tbs soy sauce and 1/2 tbs sesame oil and mix it and place it onto the large bowl.
*tip: When you drain the hot water from the pot, don't discard the hot water. Put it back into the pot so you can cook your spinach quickly.
On a heated pan, put a few drops of olive oil and your carrot strips and stir it with a spatula for 30 seconds. Put it into the large bowl (don't burn it!).
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your sliced onion. Stir it until the onion looks translucent. Put it into the large bowl with your carrots.
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add the sliced white mushrooms. Stir it for a bit and then put it in the large bowl.
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your green onions. Stir for 1 minute and put it into the large bowl.
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your beef strips (optional) and your sliced shitake mushrooms. Stir it until it's cooked well, then add 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 tbs soy sauce and 1/2 tbs sugar. Stir for another 30 seconds and then put it into the large bowl.
Add 2 tbs of soy sauce, 3 tbs of sugar, 2 tbs of sesame oil, and 1 ts of ground pepper to the large bowl. Mix all ingredients, then sprinkle 1 tbs of toasted sesame seeds on the top.