Korean Black Bean Noodles (Jjajangmyeon), No Added Refined Sugar
International dishesNoodlesKorea30 minutes
Jjajangmyeon made with black bean sauce gives a bowl of noodles under a thick dark brown sauce, with browned pork and sweet onion. The hardest part is judging the thickness, because too much cornstarch slurry turns the sauce stodgy and harshly salty.
Stirring the black bean sauce in hot oil for about a minute before the water goes in is the core technique, and it softens the sharp edge of the paste. A common mistake is pouring the slurry in all at once, which leaves lumps that cannot be smoothed out again.
This batch weighs about 921g, at roughly 234 calories per 100g.
Method
Rub 200g pork leg with coarse salt and lime to clear any smell, rinse it clean, then cut into bite sized pieces. Peel 1 onion and dice it.
Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water, stir until smooth and set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons cooking oil in a pan, add the pork and one third of the onion and stir fry until fragrant. Once the pork firms up, add 1/3 tablespoon minced ginger and 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic and keep stir frying until the raw smell is gone.
When the pork turns golden with browned edges, season with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, stir through, then add the rest of the onion and cook until it turns slightly translucent.
Add 2 tablespoons black bean sauce and stir for 1 minute so everything is coated, pour in 100ml water and cook until the sauce comes together, then season with 1/2 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and pour in the cornstarch slurry slowly until the sauce is as thick as you want.
Add 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and a small pinch of MSG, stir a few times and turn off the heat.
Rinse 330g fresh ramen noodles briefly under running water to wash off the dusting flour, boil them over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, then lift them out and rinse quickly under cold water.
Put the noodles in bowls, spoon the black bean sauce over, serve with shredded cucumber and salted preserved radish, and toss everything together before eating.
Tips
Stirring the black bean sauce in hot oil for about 1 minute before the water goes in makes the sauce fragrant and tames its sharp edge.
Pour the cornstarch slurry in a little at a time and stir, stopping the moment the sauce is just thick enough.
Rinsing the noodles under cold water after boiling keeps them springy and stops them clumping together.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend is a powder, so sprinkling it in while the sauce is at a gentle simmer dissolves it completely.
Fresh ramen noodles can be swapped for thick egg noodles or udon, with the boiling time taken from the package.
Cornstarch swaps for tapioca starch at the same ratio and gives the same body.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.