When I talk to my colleagues and friends they always seem to be fascinated that Chinese cooking is so easy when I explain it. It's not like stewing or baking for many hours (roast duck takes 2 hours and roast pork takes an hour in the oven...) it's easy - mainly steaming, boiling or stir frying.
Now this is a very simple way (or is the way) of making crispy fried noodles. So stop going to the takeaway (even though I go once in a while) and make your own... I own this cookbook Quick and Easy Chinese Cuisines by Judy Lew, who unfortunately passed away last year, this book taught me how to make crispy noodles because my dad was too busy working to teach me many years ago... So I got this book less than 10 years ago, I thought it looked the best out of all the Chinese cookbooks on display in Foyles in Charing Cross Road at the time, as it has some very decent pictures in colour! There's a new edition from 2003 out, so purchase that one if you find it!
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| My Chinese cookbook, "Quick and Easy Enjoy Chinese Cuisine" by Judy Lew |
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| Making fried noodles!! |
Ingredients (my own mixed version - my dad does this a lot, mixing and matching ingredients):
- Extra fine noodles (dried) - 1 portion
- Vegetables (any type) - washed and chopped (I used 2 green bell peppers and Chinese cabbage here)
- Meat - cut into small edible chunks (I used chicken here - any cut will, breast or thigh, skinned and de-boned)... You can use any meat!!
- Seafood (optional, I used prawns here)
- 1-2 tablespoons of Cornflour
- 4 tablespoons of Oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Light Soy Sauce
- Half a cup of hot water
- Cold water
- Vegetable oil
- Salt and Pepper
The main ingredients in pictures:
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| It's important to use Extra Fine Noodles to make crispy noodles |
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| The other ingredients. The chicken is at the bottom |
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| Chopped up Chinese Cabbage |
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| Chopped up green peppers |
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| Cut up chicken thigh meat |
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| Cooked prawns |
How to cook (for one person... I was actually cooking for three people here, so it looks like there's a lot!):
Note: Before you start frying the noodles ensure you prepare your topping ingredients beforehand as this is genuinely a quick dish to make (if you're making it for yourself)!... And loads of plates to wash afterwards!
1. Start off with your dried noodles. One portion = for one person. Boil them in some water for 4-5 minutes, and loosen. These are not like instant noodles, and so will take a little longer to cook.
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| 1 dried portion of noodles = 1 person (depends on big it is in the packet really...) |
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| Cook those noodles!! |
2. Scoop and drain them, and rinse in cold water (I forgot to rinse mine in cold water). And leave to cool for a bit in a plate... (Re-use the water if you are making for more than one person).
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| Scoop and drain the noodles |
3. Heat your wok or a large frying pan. Add about two tablespoons of oil (or more if you want it extra crispy) and swerve around, or use a paper towel to spread evenly. (You can also use a big pot and deep fry them if you want your noodles extra, extra crispy!!)
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| Heat the wok |
5. Add the cold noodles in, and spread out in the wok or pan. Leave it to fry on one side for about 2 to 3 minutes...
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| Spread the noodles out to pan-fry |
6. Then flip over to fry on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes...
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| Flip over to pan-fry on the other side |
7. Serve on a plate immediately... (Forgot to take a pic here).
8. Using your pre-prepared ingredients (meat, veg, seafood etc...), fry the chopped meat first and cook until it looks cooked.
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| Add the chicken and cook |
9. Add the seafood in (if this is not the first ingredient used). Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes or it may depend on how big the meat is...
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| Add the prawns in |
10. Next add your vegetables. (You can add salt and pepper at this stage, but I've hardly used any here - just a bit of salt). Stir fry the meat and vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Add half a cup of hot water and cover for 2 minutes.
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| Add your green peppers in |
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| The the Chinese Cabbage goes in next... add hot water to simmer... |
11. Add soy sauce and/or oyster sauce. If using black bean paste, add a tablespoon of sugar to sweeten the salty black bean taste. Then simmer for 2 minutes.
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| Add soy sauce and oyster sauce... |
12. Prepare your cornflour (use about a tablespoon per portion / person) and add cold water... Pour this slowly into the meat and veg (or spoon it in slowly), then stir gently. Wait until the sauce starts to thicken...
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| Prepare the cornflour with cold water... then pour or spoon in slowly into the ingedients |
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| Sauce is thickening!! |
Once thickened, cool for a minute then add onto the top of the crispy noodles and then serve!
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| How beautiful is this!!! ^_^ |
Easy right?! There might be a lot of steps, but it's just worth it and if you make this all the time the faster you will get! :D One of my colleagues couldn't eat this as I didn't use the right meat!! :( So I made another one with only seafood and veg... she was very happy!! ^_^
Now how much did I spend? Under £10 for 3 people! And I already had the sauces, oil, seasoning and cornflour ... plus the free water :D
It makes me wonder how many Chinese people can make this! ¬,¬""
