Do you know the joke about this guy who went to China on a business trip and when he came back and handed in his expenses the HR manager called him and asked how come he ate at a Chinese restaurant every evening?
This joke is one of my dad’s favorites. He was a sailor all his life and spent most of his time in Asia. We were lucky enough to be able to join him from time to time and experience the exciting worlds of Asia in the pre-Internet time [Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea]. My sister and I had the best childhood in this aspect; traveling to places people never even heard of, getting to know cultures that were very different from ours.
There is no wonder then that the Asian culture, mainly the Chinese one, is strong in my family. No wonder that I got my BA in Asian studies, no wonder I took Mandarin for 3 years and really, no wonder at all, that Chinese food is known in my family as “food”.
My dad, who loves cooking, used to make this Hong Kong oriented dish very often; I remember coming home from school and seeing the wok full with the rice noodles and vegetables… then I’d pick the ginger out, it was before I learned to like it!
If I put the sentimental memories aside, this dish fits perfect into my idea of a simple vegan recipe. Like many other recipes in this blog it requires a bit of a prep work, gives you a complete freedom in choosing the main vegetables [perfect as a “fridge cleaning” dish] and then all that is left is the simple method of “all together now”.
Ingredients for 2-3 servings:
- 1 Carrot – sliced
- 1 Red bell pepper – sliced
- ½ a head of a broccoli – separated to small florets
- 6 – 10 champignon mushrooms – sliced
- 125 gr. rice noodles, aka Vermicelli
- 1 – 2 garlic cloves – cut to small pieces
- 1 piece of ginger – cut to small pieces
- A few slices of chili pepper – make sure it is not too spicy
- 1 – 2 spring onion – sliced and separated white & green
- Cilantro – for serving
For the sauce [can be prepared in advance in a small bowl]:
- 2 – 3 tsp. of curry powder
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- A pinch of brown sugar
- 2 – 3 tbsp. of rice vinegar
- 3 – 4 tbsp. soy sauce
- 3 – 4 tbsp. sesame oil
- ½ cup of water
Alternative vegetables that can be used:
- Yellow bell pepper
- Cabbage
- Pak Choi
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Sprouts
- Zucchini
- Baby corn
- Peas
- Snap Peas
Also possible: tofu cubes & TVP
Directions:
- Wash, cut and slice all veggies
- Soak the rice noodles in boiled water for 5 minutes, strain, wash in cold water and set aside
- In a wok on high heat warm 1 – 2 tbsp. of sesame oil
- Add the garlic, ginger, chili and white part of the spring onion – sauté for 1 – 2 minutes
- Lower the heat and add all the main veggies
- Stir fry for a minute and add half a cup of water – let cook for 3 – 5 minutes, stir from time to time
- Add the curry powder, turmeric, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oil and ½ cup of water
- Stir well
- Add the rice noodles – it’s completely fine to “break” them into smaller pieces
- Stir fry for 3 – 4 minutes
- Balance flavors – add more curry or soy sauce if needed
- Make sure that the noodles aren’t sticking to the bottom of the wok
- Once ready, add the green part of the spring onion
- Serve with fresh cilantro
Enjoy!
