Noodles in a black bean sauce. So simple. So delicious. It uses a Korean-style black bean paste called chunjang (not to be mistaken with Chinese black bean paste) made with fermented soybeans. Vegetables like onions, cabbage, zucchini are sautéed sometimes along with a protein (pictured above was made using organic, grass-fed filet mignon).

Nothing is better than hand-pulled noodles which are the proper thickness and chew, but we found ready-made fresh noodles in the refrigerator section of Asian markets work great. There are also frozen and dried noodles labeled for jajangmyeon. Udon noodles work just fine, too. There are seafood variations for the sauce and if you like a little heat, we added Korean red chili pepper flakes called gochugaru (the same stuff that makes kimchi) after plating the dish topped with julienned cucumber for a little fresh crunch to the savory sauce.

When not in South Korea or with any other access to jajangmyeon delivery, below is our pretty straightforward version to make this favorite at home.

Jajangmyeon

Ingredients
(makes 2-3 servings)

2-3 servings noodles
2 tbsp chunjang sauce (black bean paste)
6-8 oz filet mignon (or any protein, diced into 1/2 inch cubes)
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup water
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced 1/2 inch
1 cucumber (julienned for garnish topping)

1. Prepare the noodles. Rinse and set aside.
2. Optional: marinate the meat with a little rice wine (mirin), ginger, salt and pepper while preparing the vegetables. Also optional, adding a little flour to vegetables to thicken sauce. (However, we find both unnecessary.)
3. Add 1 tbsp oil to pan, sauté onions few minutes, add zucchini and cook few more minutes. Push aside to pan edges, add meat and sauté in middle few more minutes. Push aside with vegetables and add remaining 1 tbsp oil to the middle of pan. Now sauté the black bean paste in that oil for a minute. Mix everything together and add the water. Let simmer few more miinutes or until the sauce thickens.
4. Portion out the noodles in large bowls, add sauce, top with julienned cucumbers and sprinkle red chili pepper flakes if desired.

Printable version here:
Jajangmyeon