My daughter loves Asian style noodles. Unfortunately, during lock-down for one year by now, her favorite take-away Noodle-bar is closed.
So we decided to cook it ourselves. Once per week, when she has the morning off from her online university lectures, she likes to try out different new Asian dishes and cooks for all of us.
One kind of noodles we all love are fried noodles with vegetables. You can make them either vegan style or add some fried meat, like chicken, pork or beef. With the latter, you first have to fry the meat, set it aside when ready and keep warm, and then fry the vegetables as described below. At the very end you add the meat.
My daughter is not really a fan of soy or Teriyaki sauce. That is why I prepared the noodles in two different ways: one simple and one with an Asian style sauce.
For cutting the vegetables I recommend to use a mandolin cutter with an attachment for Julienne stripes (these are fine vegetable stripes of the size of a matchstick). If you do not have such a thing, try to cut the vegetables as thin as possible. This is also a discipline to learn when you want to be a professional cook! Still, I highly recommend to invest in a mandolin cutter. It is part of my almost everyday cooking and therefor most useful!
What you need:
5-6 noodle nests (approx. 300 gr)
1 medium carrot
1 medium zucchini
1 red bell pepper
3 small scallions with green
1/4 Chinese cabbage or some white cabbage leaves
100 gr mushrooms of your choice (white mushrooms, oyster mushrooms or Mu-err)*
3 Tbsp soy shoots*
3 Tbsp bamboo shoots*
3 Tbsp sesame oil
Salt
Pepper
Ginger powder
(*optional)
For the sauce:
1 garlic clove
1 piece of fresh ginger (about the size of a sugar cube) – alternatively 1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp honey
1/2 tbs Szechuan pepper (alternatively black pepper)
1 small to medium fresh chili pepper
1 tsp coriander powder
5 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
3 Tbsp Water
Some sesame seeds
How to prepare:
Cook the noodles as recommended on the package until soft.
Cut the carrot and the zucchini with a mandolin cutter into matchstick-sized stripes. Cut the bell pepper into four, remove the seeds and the white skin from inside, and cut into fine stripes. Cut the Chinese cabbage the same and the mushrooms into slices. Clean the scallions and cut diagonally into rings. Cut the bamboo shoots into thin stripes.
In a large pot or Wok heat the sesame oil on high. Add first the carrot, zucchini and the bamboo shoots and fry for 1-2 minutes.
Add the bell pepper and the mushrooms, then add the scallions and the cabbage, frying each time 1-2 minutes until glassy.
At the end add the soy shoots and let cook everything on medium heat for approx. 10 minutes until all vegetables are soft but not mushy.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and ginger powder.
Add the noodles and fry for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the fried noodles with Asian style sauce, clean the garlic and peal the ginger and grate finely. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until the garlic, ginger and chili pepper are finely cut or mashed. Add the sauce to the fried vegetables and let cook for 2 minutes.
Add the noodles and let fry for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle with some sesame seeds.
Eat Good Live Good 