3 Delicious Recipes from ‘Vegetarian Chinese Soul Food’ Cookbook

Serves 4

For the noodles:

• 6 cups water
• 8 to 10 ounces fresh Chinese noodles
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the topping:

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 stalks green onions, cut into 2-inch segments
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• 4 to 6 medium dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 2 to 3 hours, stemmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
• 1 cup roughly chopped gai lan (Chinese broccoli) or other leafy green
• 8 snow peas, stemmed
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon black bean garlic sauce
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder

Steps:

To make the noodles, bring the water to a boil in a medium pot. Cook the noodles for about 2 minutes. Drain well and set aside. Add about 1/8 inch of vegetable oil to a heavy 8- or 9-inch skillet. Heat the oil over medium heat until the surface starts to shimmer. Test the temperature by placing a small strand of noodle in the oil. If it immediately fries, the oil is ready. Place half of the noodles in the pan, making sure to arrange the noodles in a disc. Fry on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden to dark brown but not burnt. Repeat with the remaining noodles. Place on a serving plate and set aside while you make the vegetables.

To make the topping, preheat a wok over high heat until wisps of smoke rise from the surface. Add the vegetable oil and heat until the surface starts to shimmer. Add the onions and stir for 5 seconds. Add the carrots and mushrooms and stir for 10 seconds. Add the gai lan and stir for 30 seconds. Add the snow peas, bean sprouts, soy sauce, black bean garlic sauce, and water. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch slurry, making sure it gets well mixed with the sauce and vegetables. Finish with sesame oil and white pepper powder. Give it one last stir, then pour it over the noodles. Serve hot.

©2021 by Hsiao-Ching Chou. Excerpted from Vegetarian Chinese Soul Food by permission of Sasquatch Books.