Here’s a baby and

What is Japchae?
Japchae is Korean sweet potato noodles, or "
I’m not trying to brag here (or maybe I am!), but growing up, my mom was notorious in our community as the best japchae maker, and I will forever associate this dish with her "special" touch.
Korean cooking is so mysterious and magical, I find. Sure, you can follow a
I wish I had my mom's sohn mat but I shall have to settle with what I've got ;).
What makes this dish baby and toddler friendly?
Traditionally, japchae is high in sodium. The sauce/marinade for japchae uses a lot of soy sauce and the individual vegetables are normally seasoned with salt. Because the sweet potato noodles have a very neutral flavor, this is necessary for the average adult palate.
However, this is not very ideal for babies whose kidneys are not able to handle a lot of salt at this time.
So I sought out to tackle the challenge of achieving maximum flavor with minimal use of sodium-rich ingredients so that not only your
Expert Tips

- Cut all the ingredients into thinly sliced/julienned strips. I love to use my mandolin for this as it makes the process go super quick.
- Cook each ingredient separately to take into consideration the different cooking times and to prevent colors from bleeding into one another. By doing so, the flavor, texture, and color of each ingredient will be maintained and shine through when the dish is enjoyed as a whole.
- A simple tip on how to make vegetables super soft if making this to enjoy with your baby (don't need to do this for toddlers or older children): when cooking them in a pan, add a small splash of water and cook for a couple of minutes. Depending on how thinly you sliced the vegetables, you may or may not need to cover the pan with a lid. What this does is create a mini steaming effect.
- Marinate the beef in my soy sauce-free bulgogi sauce. This will not only enhance the flavor of the beef and the dish as a whole but once cooked, it will leave behind all this yummy, flavorful juice. Don’t toss it!
- Cook the noodles last! Normally, the noodles are prepared first, tossed in a soy-based sauce to keep them from sticking together (and for flavor), and set aside. But what I’ve found is waiting until the very end to cook the noodles and adding to the pan to soak up all the leftover juice from the beef helps to achieve a soft, chewy texture.

- The last step is to toss all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl by hand. Then set aside a portion for your baby and chop everything with scissors so that you get tiny pieces.
- To the rest of the mixture, add the sauce. Season to taste. You can certainly add more soy sauce and/or sesame seeds if you wish.
Ingredient Suggestions

While I kept it really simple by using just carrots, red bell peppers, onion, and bulgogi, you can absolutely add whatever vegetables you’d like. J
apchae literally means “mixture of vegetables” so invite all kinds of delicious, colorful vegetables to the party. Traditionally, spinach is added, but I didn’t want to go through the trouble of blanching the spinach. Do what you can!
How to cook the noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package directions, 6-8 minutes. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and cut the noodles into shorter strands.
These sweet potato starch noodles are great not only for stir-frys but
Now, some will argue that you shouldn’t cook the noodles. Instead, they should be soaked in hot water for 20 minutes or so. My mom would agree.
However, since this recipe is geared towards babies and toddlers, I've found that boiling the noodles results in a softer consistency. You can give it a try and see which method you prefer!
How to serve leftovers

Once you put the noodles in the fridge, the starch in the noodles will harden. Reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes (mixing in between
Did you make this baby and toddler-friendly Japchae, or Korean Sweet Potato Noodles? Follow me on Instagram post a photo and tag me, post a photo on my Facebook page, or save it to Pinterest. I love to see what you're making!

If interested in a meatless version, check out my vegetarian japchae. Keep in mind, this recipe is not baby-friendly but will be great for older children and adults.
Recipe

Kid-friendly Japchae
Ingredients
- 4 ounces lean beef, marinated in bulgogi sauce
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, julienned
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil for stir frying
- 6 ounces Korean sweet potato starch noodles
Sauce
- 1.5 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey (no honey for babies younger than 1 year old)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Marinate beef - 30 minutes for ground beef, at least 3 hours for thinly sliced beef
- Cut the veggies as thinly as possible to make it easy and safe for young children. I love to use a mandolin for this as it cuts down the prep time significantly!
- In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil to a non-stick pan. Swirl to coat. Cook the onion over medium heat until it softens, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil to the pan and cook the carrots over medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes. If cooking for baby, add a tablespoon or so of water and continue cooking until they get nice and soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the same bowl with the onion.
- Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil to the pan and cook the bell peppers over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, until softened. Depending on how thinly sliced they were, you may or may not have to add water as suggested with carrots. Transfer to the mixing bowl.
- To the pan, add the marinated meat (no oil necessary) and cook over medium heat until it's no longer pick, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the mixing bowl. Keep the beef juice in the pan!
- Cook the noodles. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the noodles and cook for 6-8 minutes. Rinse in cold water and drain. Cut the noodles with kitchen scissors into short strands.
- Reheat the meat juice in the pan. Add the noodles to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until translucent and sticky, 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer to the large mixing bowl with all the rest of the ingredients. Toss everything together with hand. Set aside a portion for the baby. To the rest, add the sauce. Adjust seasoning to your taste. You can always add more soy sauce and sesame oil.
Notes
- A simple tip on how to make vegetables super soft if making this to enjoy with your baby (don't need to do this for toddlers or older children): when cooking them in a pan, add a small splash of water and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Leftovers. Once you put the noodles in the fridge, the starch in the noodles will harden. Reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes (mixing in between) .
Valencia says
Is this freezer friendly?
Min says
Yes you can freeze it for up to 3 months
Fiona says
I made this with leftover baby friendly bulgogi and it tasted so yummy! Love your Asian BLW recipes, they make eating together with our baby so much easier.
Min says
Makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Hillary Rivera says
This is one of my favorites! Love all the veggies and how easy it is!
Min says
Thanks for sharing! I wasn't sure if anybody was enjoying this recipe. Now I know!! 😉