Thursday, 16 January 2014

Chinese New Year Longetivity Shiitake Noodles

Chinese New Year is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. It celebrates the start of new life and the season of ploughing and sowing. This Chinese New Year begins on 31 January 2014. It is a traditional time for feasting with family and friends.  Dinners tends to be very elaborate involving tables laden with auspicious food. Almost every dish has a symbolic meaning  for fortune, happiness, longevity and prosperity. 

Today I made Shiitake Noodles to commemorate the new year.  This is a vegetarian dish  because it is considered fortuitous for garnering good karma by refraining from eating food that has been killed. Vermicelli is used because is signifies longevity in Chinese culture. It is long and can be eaten without being cut up.

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serving size:  8 person

Ingredients

  • 500g pack dried rice vermicelli (buy from: http://www.noodlesonly.com/rice-vermicelli/)
  • couple dashes toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 2 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • finger-length piece fresh root ginger, grated
  • 300g fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced (100g if dried. Soak overnight)
  • 1 leek thinly sliced into lengthways strips
  • 150g fresh watercress
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp thick dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce


Method

  1. Soak the rice vermicelli in hot boiling water until soft. Make sure stirring it occasionally to ensure the noodles are fully emerge into water. Rinse in cold water to prevent noodles from sticking. Drain water entirely. May toss with a little sesame oil to stop them sticking.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp groundnut oil in a wok over a high heat. When it starts to smoke, add finely chopped garlic cloves, ginger and leek to stir-fry for a couple of secs, then throw in the shiitake mushrooms.  Stir for 2 mins then add the cold vermicelli and the sauces (fish+light+dark soy). Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the veg is properly mixed then serve straight away.  Sprinkle fresh watercress on top of noodles.

No comments:

Post a Comment