Vegetarian Singapore Noodles

Asian food is my soul food.

Rice, noodles, ramen, sushi, dumplings – I love it all.

These golden Singapore noodles are my go-to-fix for a fast and delicious meal. Simple, quick and satisfying! This recipe was inspired by one of the best takeaway restaurants in Brighton. Mandarin Garden has been in Hangleton for as long as I remember. And it is one of my favourite places to eat because Mr Lee (the lovely owner) makes the best Chinese food ever. He manages to make delicious dishes that taste fresh and flavourful, not greasy or fatty like most takeaway restaurants. His Singapore noodles were my favourite dish before I became vegetarian!

Typically, Singapore noodles contain lots of meat and fish. So I have created a vegetarian-friendly option! The umami, savoury flavour comes from the tamari soya sauce, the stock and the spices. Now I love chilli, so these noodles pack a punch! If you aren’t so much of a spicy fan, then just throw away the seeds of the chilli – this is where the heat comes from! Toasted sesame seed oil is a must! Do not be tempted to use something else. Toasted sesame seed oil is a must in most Asian cooking. You can pick it up from most Asian supermarkets, I actually got mine from Tesco!

The key to this dish is to create a flavour base using onions, celery, garlic and chillies – along with the spices. Toasting these ingredients before adding the vegetables and noodles means the flavours have a chance to develop.

This dish can be served as it is, or you can serve with a fried egg or as part of an asian inspired banquet.

Here is how I did it!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 nests of fine egg noodles
• 1 bag of fresh stir fry vegetables
• 2 spring onions (chopped)
• 3 cloves of garlic (finely diced)
• 1 green chilli (chopped)
• 2 ribs of celery (chopped)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• A generous splash of tamari soya sauce
• 1 tbsp Sriracha chilli sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 50ml hot water.

Method:

1. Heat the sesame oil in a wok on a medium heat.
2. Add the dried noodle nests to a bowl and cover in boiling water. Leave for ten minutes until soft.
3. Add the garlic, chilli, celery and spring onion to the hot wok. Cook until softened.
4. Add the turmeric, garlic powder, cumin powder, curry powder, soya sauce, chilli sauce, ketchup and stock. Bring all ingredients to a simmer.
5. Add the vegetables and toss in the sauce. Ensure that the veg is evenly coated. Stir fry for five minutes and then add the softened noodles.
6. Cook for a further few minutes before serving! Add your favourite toppings like egg, chopped spring onions or black sesame seeds!

That really is it! So quick and simple. This recipe makes enough to serve 5 – 6 people. I like making a batch at the beginning of the week and eating it for lunch in the week! The best thing about stir fries is that you do not cook the vegetable for very long. This means that they retain more of their nutrients!

So put down that takeaway menu and pick up your pan! And prepare yourself for some seriously good Asian soul food…