Japchae

Sauce

Finely chop the garlic and mix it with the soy sauce, sugar and 2 tbsp of sesame oil.

Meat

Cut the beef into thin strips, toss with 2 tbsp of the sauce and leave to marinate while you prep everything else.

Vegetables

Cut the carrot, pepper and mushrooms into thin strips and the onion into thin half-moons.

Spinach

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds, lift it out, cool under cold water and squeeze dry.

Noodles

Cook the glass noodles in the same water until tender, following the packet. Drain, rinse under cold water and snip into 15–20 cm lengths with scissors.

Browning

Heat a spoonful of oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the onion, carrot, pepper and mushrooms one after another for 2 minutes each, salting each batch lightly. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl as they're done.

Cooking each vegetable separately keeps its colour and crunch.

Beef

Stir-fry the beef over high heat until the strips are browned with no pink left.

Mixing

Add the noodles, vegetables, spinach and remaining sauce to the pan and warm through over medium heat, tossing.

Serving

Take off the heat, toss with the remaining sesame oil, transfer to a platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy!