Smoky Wok

I am such a noodle fiend that it is not even funny - seriously I think I probably won't be able to live without noodles so I hope that may explain my fascination with noodles.  The recipes for noodles I have on this blog make a long list but there are definitely lots of noodle dishes I have yet to experiment with.  There are literally endless Asian noodle dishes from the basics like today's simple Chinese style soy sauce rice noodles to the refreshing Korean cold noodles and the vibrantly beautiful Japanese summer noodle dish of hiyashi chuka, just to name a few.  As easy as today's popular dish is to make at home, there is a little 'secret' I want to share with you - to make sure that your rice noodles do not stick excessively to your wok, you will have to make sure the sides of your wok are well-oiled and just for the record, this is a tip from mom.  Then again, you could always use a non-stick pan (at which my mom would probably shake her head in protest) but then I have to agree with mom this time, the irreplaceable 'wok breath' will then be lost which is what I think makes this humble dish rather special.



As always, you can personalise this noodle dish with ingredients other than what I used here like chicken or seafood instead of pork and chives instead of nappa cabbage.  The dish is mainly seasoned with thick caramel sauce/ dark soy sauce (I used Yuen Chun's) which gives the noodles the rich flavours with a hint of sweetness and the gorgeous mahogany hue. This dark soy sauce I am referring to however differs from the other type of dark soy sauce or 老抽 which is probably more known outside of Malaysia - the thick caramel sauce I am referring to is more viscous than the former and more richly flavoured.  In addition, the thick caramel sauce works great both in cooking with heat or just as a dipping sauce which marks another difference from 老抽 since the latter works best when used as a condiment during the cooking process.  From the questions I have been receiving from readers, the Malaysian type of dark soy sauce seem to be gaining popularity outside of Malaysia and many major Asian grocery stores in the US and UK have started carrying these products so hopefully for those of you outside of Asia, you will be able to find this handy condiment easily.



This recipe is a part of my Yuen Chun recipes, an ongoing project on this blog. 



Notes from J: 

The noodles require to be soaked for at least 30 minutes in warm water before they can be stir-fried so please plan accordingly.

Use a pair of chopsticks or tongs to 'stir-fry' the noodles instead of a spatula to avoid breakage of the rice noodles as they can be quite fragile.

Whenever you add seasoning to a dish like noodles, you should always add the condiments from the sides of the wok, trickling down to the center for an even distribution - 'patchy' noodles can look a little funny :O.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 'rounds' of dried rice noodles/ sticks/ mihun
Half a head of nappa cabbage, sliced (you can substitute with other vegetables like chives, beansprouts or green onions) and shred some for garnish if you wish
1/2 pound of pork, sliced or cubed
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Seasoning:

2 tbsps thick caramel sauce or to taste
1 tbsp light soy sauce or to taste

Yuen Chun's thick caramel sauce:



Dipping sauce (optional):

3 tbsps light soy sauce
3 bird's eye chilli peppers, sliced

Method:

Firstly, soak the noodles in warm water for at least 30 minutes or until soft.  Drain and set aside.

Heat your wok until almost smoking.  Add 2 tbsps of cooking oil.  Turn heat to low and add garlic.  Stir fry till aromatic and add pork slices.  Stir around until almost cooked and add the cabbage. Turn the heat to medium high.  Stir fry for a bit more.  Add about 3-4 tbsps of water and cover, turning heat to low again.  Cover for about 5 minutes and then remove, the cabbage should be entirely soft by now.  Dish out and set aside.

Clean your wok and wipe dry.  Heat your wok again until almost smoking.  Add about 1-2 tbsps of oil and gently allow some oil to trickle down the sides of your wok as well, just swirling your wok may not be adequate.  Add in the soaked rice noodles from earlier. Turn heat down to medium.

Stir around with a pair of chopsticks or tongs for about 30 seconds and then add in the pork and cabbage mixture from earlier.  Turn heat to high and add the seasoning from the sides of the wok and with your chopsticks or tongs, continuously toss the noodles around until they are well coated.  Do a taste test and add more thick caramel sauce or light soy sauce as you prefer.  Garnish with some shredded cabbage or green onions if you like.  Serve hot.