Spicy Korean Temple Noodles

Spicy Korean Temple Noodles
Rikki Snyder for The New York Times
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(194)
Notes
Read community notes

This dish, which clamors for a beer, is a simple tangle of noodles, each strand glossed with a ruddy, vibrant mix of seasonings. The method for cooking the noodles is unusual: very gentle and very effective. I’ll wager it works with angel hair. —Florence Fabricant

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons gochujang (Korean chile paste)
  • 2tablespoons Asian persimmon, plum or other fruit vinegar
  • 2tablespoons sugar, preferably organic
  • 1tablespoon black raspberry extract or other berry syrup
  • 1teaspoon soy sauce, preferably Korean
  • 9ounces thin udon
  • ¼English cucumber, peeled, quartered and sliced
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

296 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 398 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, mix together the gochujang, vinegar, sugar, berry extract and soy sauce.

  2. Step 2

    Bring to a boil 3 quarts of water in a large pot with plenty of space to spare. Add the noodles, and when the water returns to the boil, add a cup of cold water. Return to the boil and repeat, adding the cold water, twice more. By this time the noodles should be al dente. Drain them, rinse briefly with cold water and drain well.

  3. Step 3

    Add noodles to the bowl of seasoning. Toss together. Divide among 4 plates or bowls, top each with cucumber and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
194 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Udon noodles are NOT the right kind to be using in this recipe. Even the thinner, flatter varieties are much too large. Instead, use somen/somyeon. The cooking method was designed for these very thin noodles, not udon. Also, people who find it too spicy should also try adding a drizzle of sesame oil, which will help tone down some of the spice.

First off, I have always found the usual recommended portion of just over 2 oz. of dry noodles too small for most noodle lovers, unless the noodles are to be a part of a larger meal. 3 oz. is better; 4 oz. is best. I used undiluted concentrated cherry juice in place of the fruit vinegar and cherry-flavored vinegar in place of the syrup. I also included a 1/2 tsp. toasted black sesame seeds and a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil to the ingredients. The results were delicious!

I made this dish and felt like it was missing something. As is, think this would be a better side dish, not a main course. Ideas: More crunchy, cooling vegetables (daikon, cabbage) Soft boiled egg Sesame seeds Octopus (pan fried and tossed with a little vinegar)

Wasn't able to find a berry extract/syrup used apple cider vinegar and it still turned out very good. I'm sure the extract added another level of flavor but this is pretty great just using ingredients that are easy to find!

Made and liked very much, but I have a question: what is raspberry extract or other berry syrup? I shopped for the ingredients at the H Mart in Los Angeles's Koreatown and no one there had heard of it. I used some Bon Maman red currant jelly I had on hand as a sub.

Used it as a side dish with Mark Bittman's Korean-Style Chicken Wings. Good, spicy dinner.

I can’t say that I actually made this recipe. I used cider vinegar as others did and didn’t have any of the recommended berry substitutes so I used a mix of ketchup and grape jelly. Luckily I did have some terrific udon and the rest of the ingredients. It tasted very odd as a cold dish once mixed and there was a lot of unabsorbed sauce at the bottom of the bowl. I put it all in a large skillet to warm up and the sauce simmered a bit. Overall my family liked it. Apologies to the author!

We used Chambord liqueur as the black raspberry extract, it turned out well and will make again. Could benefit from additions as others have suggested, shrimp or chicken, eggs, etc.

Mine didn’t turn out to be this vivid red, but I took some liberties with substitutions, using balsamic vinegar and syrup from Luxardo cherries. I also added chili oil and sriracha to make it spicier, and a little of the pasta water to expand the sauce. I used 14 oz of udon. The cooking method for the udon seemed inconsequential—they cooked to al dente and that was that. The comment about this method being intended for a more delicate noodle makes sense. In the end, it was pretty tasty.

Used ume plum vinegar (per a suggestion in the comments) and pomegranate molasses instead of black raspberry syrup. Soooo good and kept well for a few days even with gluten free noodles!

This is great. I added some pan fried tofu and used oyster sauce instead of soy sauce. Also used a little less butter.

Just had this for dinner and it was delicious! Though, we felt the initial recipe was missing something, so we added a few ingredients: -shredded carrots -fried breaded pork with salt and pepper (great for soaking up the spice of the sauce) -and made a simple syrup out of welches grape juice for the berry syrup

I appreciated people suggesting the more authentic somyeon noodles and followed the cooking instructions on the package, but they made for terrible and gluey leftovers. Perhaps this is where I went wrong? I really was hoping to have this as a meal planning dish - but wonder if the udon noodles would have been much better for the purpose. I used blackberry extract and plum vinegar. I am new to temple cuisine and found the flavors interesting but a bit challenging.

Used pomegranate molasses and ume plum vinegar. Huckleberry syrup might also be good. It was delicious.

This was delightful. I substituted a few things based on what was in the fridge -- blueberry jam instead of the raspberry extract, and thinly sliced kohlrabi for the cucumber. It was so simple and delicious, and yes, extremely spicy!

This was delicious. I used Apple cider vinegar as my fruit vinegar and I happened to have some strawberry syrup on hand which I used for the berry extract. I also added some cilantro and basil to it- refreshing, healthy.. just perfect. I used udon and to me, these would be my preference. They certainly work very well with the dish. But as always, it’s a matter of personal preference.

Printed page of this recipe was filed in my 'to try' folder for a year until I did that last night. Recipe now in 'keeper' binder. Super easy. Very tasty. Made nearly as written but for subbing spaghetti for udon. instead of cucumber used small dice of orange bells and celery. Covid19 shopping times meant using what was on hand and the cool, crispy veg were good partners here. Benefited from 90 min 'ish' sit at room temp before serving.

Somyeon is the Korean version of vermicelli and would be better for this dish.

Made it with somyeon and added lettuce and sprouts. Delicious!!

Wasn't able to find a berry extract/syrup used apple cider vinegar and it still turned out very good. I'm sure the extract added another level of flavor but this is pretty great just using ingredients that are easy to find!

I made this dish and felt like it was missing something. As is, think this would be a better side dish, not a main course. Ideas: More crunchy, cooling vegetables (daikon, cabbage) Soft boiled egg Sesame seeds Octopus (pan fried and tossed with a little vinegar)

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Credits

Adapted from Jeong Kwan

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