Chicken Jjajangmyun (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)

The reason I love eating Jjajangmyun (my new comfort food) is because the thick, dark and rich gravy that coats the noodles reminds of KL Hokkien Mee, which is one of my favourite foods ever. All that's missing is the sambal belacan, but perhaps Korean red pepper paste (gochujang) might be a substitute instead?


Not so long ago, I made Jjajangmyun using pork belly based on Maangchi.com's recipe. Delicious. This time, I used chicken instead, and added some chicken stock to sweeten the broth, and tweaked the recipe a little here and there. Loved it! Slurp slurp slurp...!


Chicken Jjajangmyun (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)

Ingredients

250g chicken thigh fillets, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups green cabbage, chopped into 1 inch squares
2 cups water + 1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp potato starch/cornstarch + 3 tbsp water
7 tbsp Korean black bean paste
Vegetable/Olive oil for frying
1 packet Korean pasta or Jjajangmyun-type noodles

Method

Heat up 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the chicken until browned and cooked. Remove and set aside.

Heat up 2 tbsp oil in the pan and fry potatoes for 1 minute. Then add garlic and onions and fry another minute. Add the carrots and cabbage and fry briefly before adding the chicken, chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are cooked. In the meantime, heat up 1 tbsp oil in a small pan and fry the black bean paste for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside. At this point you can also start boiling the noodles following the packet instructions.

Once potatoes are cooked, add in the fried black bean paste and stir until mixed through. Add sugar. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the potato starch solution and stir well to combine until the gravy thickens.

To serve, place cooked noodles in a bowl and ladle a generous amount of gravy over them. Serve immediately as they need to be eaten hot. Do not serve cold. Enjoy!