Using Ayurvedic principles of nutrition can easily transform a family’s favorite recipe into a healthier dish. Cooking with Ayurveda’s awareness of food as medicine, I enhance the Korean cuisine I grew up eating. Traditional Korean meals share similarities with Ayurvedically pre- pared meals, with an emphasis on eating foods to support one’s health. However, many modern Korean dishes are now made to only satisfy the salty, sweet, and spicy cravings people seek. Using Ayurvedic principles of cooking, I strive to create Korean cuisine with health and balance as the main ingredient in the dish.

 

A favorite Korean dish passed down to me by my mother is japchae. Japchae was first created in the 17th century for the royal family of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. During this time Buddhism influenced the everyday lives and the food Korean people ate. A vegetarian diet was enjoyed by most and thus japchae, which translates to “mixed vegetables” consisted of only cooked vegetables at that time.[1] It was around 1763 when sweet potatoes were first introduced to Korea from Japan, and then around 1930 when japchae included sweet potato starch noodles, dangmyeon. These noodles were introduced to Korea by the Chinese people, who have been making sweet potato starch noodles since the 1590s when sweet potatoes were brought to China.[2,3].  Learn how Japchae aligns with the principles of Ayurvedic nutrition to promote health and balance the doshas in the updated  print version of the recipe.  Link below.  

 

Japchae 잡채 Korean Sweet Potato Noodles and Vegetables              UPDATED PRINT VERSION

Ingredients:
Serves 8-10, 

 

Preparation

1. Cook dangmyeon noodles according to the directions on the package.

Drain dangmyeon noodles and place them back into the pot. Drizzle

with 2 Tbs of toasted sesame oil to prevent noodles from sticking.

Place lid on top of the pot and keep noodles warm.

 

2. Prep vegetables: rinse, chop, slice, and mince. Place them on cutting

board or platter, keeping them separated.

 

3. Heat a medium size sauté pan, and add 1 teaspoon of Avocado oil to

the pan.

 

4. Sauté vegetables separately starting with onions and then firmer veg-

etables such as the whites of bok choy. Add a pinch of salt while

sautéing veggetables. Be sure not to overcook, keeping vegetables

crunchy.

 

5. Do not sauté soft and tender greens such as baby spinach, baby

arugula or baby kale. Add these soft greens to noodles with a pinch

of mineral salt. The heat from the noodles and sauteed vegetables

will “cook” the soft and tender greens.

 

6. Place each batch of stir-fried vegetables over noodles.

 

7. In a small pot, sauté on medium-low heat, sesame oil, and spices,

then add the remaining ingredients for the Tamari Sesame Oil Sauce.

Cook on medium heat until it comes to a low boil, then turn down

the heat to low and cook for another minute.

 

8. Strain Tamari Sesame Oil Sauce in a fine metal strainer. Compost or

discard solids.

 

9. Add Tamari Sesame Oil Sauce over noodles and vegetables. Mix

carefully.

 

10. Serve warm or at room temperature. May serve as a side dish with a

protein of your choice

 

NOTE

1. Sweet potato starch noodles, dangmyeon, may be purchased at an

Asian grocery store.

2. Use seasonal vegetables that are best for your dosha.

3. Garlic clove is optional for vata and kapha and omit for pitta dsoha.

4. Fresh ground ginger-use 1 teaspoon for pitta dosha.

5. Use coconut aminos instead of tamari for pitta dosha.

6. Use 1 teaspoon of naturally fermented rice wine vinegar for pitta

dosha.