Homemade Jjapaguri (Ram Don). Korean noodles smothered in a spicy umami flavored black bean sauce with cabbage, onion, and steak. Inspired from the Korean movie Parasite. Ready in 30 minutes!
What are Jjapaguri noodles?
Jjapaguri or Ram Don is a delicious, trending spicy black bean noodle dish inspired by the Korean film, Parasite. This film won multiple Oscars in 2020 - one of them was Best Picture. The movie featured these noodles, which are made by combining two Korean instant ramen brands: "Chapagetti" and "Neoguri" with tender steak.
After seeing this become such a big trend on social media, I decided to create my homemade version of the jjapaguri recipe from scratch. After a few trials of making this dish, the end result was a delicious spicy jajangmyeon with lots of steak!
The roasted black bean sauce gives it that delicious rich taste and the gochujang gives it that spicy kick. There's also a seafood flavour to this Korean dish which I've added using oyster sauce.
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Rib eye steak: or substitute with chicken, pork or tofu.
- Thick Korean wheat noodle: or sub with udon noodles
- Korean roasted black bean sauce: or replace with the Chinese kind
- Gochujang paste: aka Korean red pepper paste
- Onion
- Green onion
- Green cabbage
- Water, cold
- Cornstarch: or potato starch
- Sugar
- Oyster sauce: or substitute with vegetarian stir-fry sauce
- Neutral oil: like vegetable oil, avocado oil or any scentless oil with a high smoke point.
- Green onions: optional garnish
- Gochugaru aka Korean Hot Pepper Flakes: garnish
Note: most Korean grocery stores will carry Asian specific ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Avoid overcooking the steak if possible, since we are stir frying it with the noodles later.
- Fry the black bean paste for at least 2 minutes, this removes the bitterness.
- Allow the sauce to thicken. This may take some time but the sauce needs to be thickened.
- Do not overcook the noodles, as we'll be stir frying the noodles in the sauce.
How to make Jjapaguri (Ram Don)
- In a small bowl, mix together your cornstarch and water. Set aside.
- In a large non-stick pan set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and add cubed steak. Fry until medium rare (about 2-4 minutes total). Remove the steak and set aside.
- Reduce to low heat and add 2 tablespoon of oil followed by roasted black bean paste, gochugaru and gochujang paste. Mix and swirl it around in the oil to make it glossy, about 2 minutes. Push the paste to the side.
- Raise heat to medium. Add onion, green onions and cabbage. Stir fry until soft. Then mix in with the black bean sauce.
- Add cornstarch water mixture, oyster sauce and sugar. Mix until well combined with veggies and sauce. Allow this to simmer and thicken.
- Once sauce has thickened, add in steak and cook for 1 minute. Remove sauce off heat.
- Boil Korean wheat noodles for 3-4 minutes total or until al dente. Strain noodles and add noodles into the sauce.
- Garnish with more green onions!
Storage & Reheating
This dish will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat on the stovetop in a pan on medium heat until hot.
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📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Homemade Jjapaguri (Ram Don)
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh wheat noodles thick Korean kind
- ½ lb rib eye steak diced
- 1 ½ cups cabbage finely chopped
- 1 cup onion finely diced
- ⅓ cup green onion sliced into 1 inch pieces
- ⅓ cup Korean roasted black bean paste
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- ½ teaspoon gochugaru add another ½ teaspoon if you prefer spicier
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoon white granulated sugar *add more sugar if you like it sweeter
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 green onion finely diced for optional garnish
Cornstarch water mixture:
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups water cold
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together your cornstarch and water. Set aside.
- In a large non-stick pan set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and add cubed steak. Fry until medium rare (about 2-4 minutes total). Remove the steak and set aside.
- Reduce to low heat and add 2 tablespoon of oil followed by roasted black bean paste, gochugaru and gochujang paste. Mix and swirl it around in the oil to make it glossy, about 2 minutes. Push the paste to the side.
- Raise heat to medium. Add onion, green onions and cabbage. Stir fry until soft. Then mix in with the black bean sauce.
- Add cornstarch water mixture, oyster sauce and sugar. Mix until well combined with veggies and sauce. Allow this to simmer and thicken.
- Once sauce has thickened, add in steak and cook for 1 minute. Remove sauce off heat.
- Boil Korean wheat noodles for 3-4 minutes total or until al dente. Strain noodles and add noodles into the sauce.
- Garnish with more green onions!
Amalia
Hi! The recipe says, to remove the kelp.does the recipe have kelp? did i miss something?
Christie Lai
Hi Amalia! Thanks so much for letting me know! I've correctly updated the recipe which used to contain kelp (but now it doesn't). Thanks again!
Barbora
Hello, I would like to try this recipe this week, as I only order this as a takeout. Would please just share with me where do I find specifically korean roasted black bean sauce? I could find some black bean sauces on Amazon but they weren’t “roasted”. Tha nk you in advance!
christieathome
Hi Barbora, you can find roasted black bean sauce at any Korean grocer and I would recommend asking the staff which aisle it's located. You may also get lucky and find it at an Asian grocer. I hope you enjoy my recipe!
Kerry N
Looks great, I will be trying this by the end of the week. Thank you for the recipe.
christieathome
Thanks Kerry! I hope you enjoy my homemade version of it! Just a note, it's not as "seafoody" as the instant version but just as delicious 🙂 Have a great day!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I love what you used to create your spicy roasted black bean sauce, so perfect! 😋
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
Yum, my kids love ramdon! This version looks so savoury and saucy!
christieathome
Oh nice! I love that they enjoy it! It's such a great and indulgent dish!