Schezwan Noodles Recipe

Ingredients

For cooking noodles

• 150 grams noodles hakka, instant or chow mein noodles
• 1 to 2 pinches salt or as required
• 4 cups water – to cook noodles
• 2 to 3 drops oil – to be added while heating water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons oil – to coat the noodles

Other ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil – for stir frying
• ¼ cup chopped spring onion whites (scallion whites) – reserve the greens for garnish
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic or 2 to 3 small to medium garlic cloves
• ¼ cup finely chopped french beans
• ¼ cup finely chopped bell pepper
• ¼ cup finely chopped carrots
• ½ cup finely chopped cabbage
• 1 cup sliced button mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon Schezwan Sauce or as required
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper powder or as required
• salt as required
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 to 1.5 tablespoons spring onion greens (scallion greens)

Steps

Cooking noodles

1. In a pot or pan, bring 4 cups water to the boil with a pinch of salt for flavor and a few drops of oil to help prevent the noodles sticking.
2. Put the noodles into the water while it is boiling hot.
3. Follow the package directions to cook the noodles.
4. Drain the noodles in a colander when they are just cooked to al dente.
5. Wash the noodles with fresh water to halt further cooking and remove starch.
6. Pour oil onto the noodles and toss gently until they are evenly coated, helping remove their stickiness.
7. Put a plate over the colander and set it aside. Allow the noodles to cool fully before combining them with the stir-fried vegetables.

Stir frying veggies

1. Use a pan or wok to heat the oil, then give the garlic a few seconds of sautéing over medium heat.
2. Turn the heat up and add the finely chopped spring onion whites (scallion whites). Stir-fry for about half to 1 minute over medium to high heat; if the pan is nonstick, use medium heat.
3. Stir-fry the french beans, stirring often, for about 3 to 4 minutes over medium to high heat. With a nonstick pan, keep to medium heat.
4. Put in the other vegetables: finely chopped carrots, capsicum (green bell pepper), cabbage and mushrooms. Continue stir-frying over medium to high heat, stirring frequently.
5. Keep stir-frying about 7 to 8 minutes, until the vegetable edges begin browning slightly. Shorten this time if you prefer the vegetables half cooked or crunchier.

Making schezwan noodles

1. Turn the flame down to medium and mix in the schezwan sauce, salt and black pepper.
2. Put in the cooked noodles a batch at a time, tossing, mixing and stir-frying them.
3. Raise the heat and continue tossing and stir-frying for a couple of minutes, until schezwan sauce covers the noodles evenly.
4. Mix in rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar thoroughly. Taste the seasoning, adding schezwan sauce, black pepper and salt if needed.
5. Mix the chopped spring onions into the schezwan noodles.
6. The schezwan noodles can now be served.

Serving and storage suggestions

1. Enjoy the noodles hot or warm. Offer extra Schezwan sauce on the side if people would like more heat.
2. Once leftovers have cooled, put them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 to 2 days. The batch can also be doubled or tripled for small parties or gatherings.