“There are so many things you can do with this recipe to adapt it – work with whatever you have to hand and use up fresh and pantry ingredients,” says food writer Uyen Luu.
“Feel free to use any combination of green leaves, cut into bite-sized pieces. It is really quick and easy, so prepare everything first so you are ready to go, then be prepared to work fast. Instead of lemongrass, you can also use ginger or just garlic and shallots. This is also great as a cold noodle lunch or picnic.”
Read: Quick and Easy Satay Noodles
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 1 round shallot, sliced
- 1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 200g or a handful of green leaves such as Chinese mustard leaf, Chinese broccoli, choi sum, pak choi, kale, chard, cavolo nero or even tender-stem broccoli, hard stems removed, roughly sliced
- 2 nest dry egg noodles
- 5 tablespoons noodle water
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
- finely chopped zest of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
For the garnish:
- spring onions, coriander, Thai basil, mint
- plenty of chilli oil, to taste
- nuts such as pistachios, peanuts, cashews, pine nuts, coarsely chopped
Method
Prepare all the ingredients first. Put the shallot, lemongrass and oil in a frying pan (skillet), not yet on the heat. Mix all the sauce ingredients together, then set that aside.
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a little of the noodle water, and rinse with warm running water. Drain and cover until needed.
Read: Laksa Noodle Soup
Heat the frying pan and gently fry until the shallot and lemongrass are slightly golden. Turn the heat to medium. Add the greens and garlic with a dash of the reserved noodle water. Cook until wilted and tender, about two minutes or less. If using broccoli, give it five minutes.
Add the noodles, then the sauce. Using cooking chopsticks or two utensils, stir and mix well together for a minute or until combined. Serve immediately with the garnishes.
Vietnamese: Simple Vietnamese Food To Cook At Home by Uyen Luu is published by Hardie Grant, available now.
Do you enjoy noodle dishes? Why not share your favourite combination of ingredients in the comments section below?
– With PA
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