Blended Asian Street-Style Spicy Noodles

PREP TIME: 15 Min

COOK TIME: 15 Min

SERVES: 4

2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter or tahini
2 tablespoons water
500g 50/50 Meadow Mushrooms and pork, chicken or beef mince blend
3 tablespoons peanut or sunflower oil
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
3cm fresh ginger, grated or chopped
1-2 tablespoons chilli bean paste or sauce or 1-2 teaspoons minced or crushed chilli (depending on heat desired)
1 cup vegetable stock
3 bok choy, stems finely sliced and leaves halved lengthways
100g Meadow Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced
200g bean sprouts
3 tomatoes, cut in wedges
4 spring onions, sliced
400g any fresh or 300g any dried noodles
coriander leaves, chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, chilli oil to serve, optional

Method

1. Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and dry fry the Sichuan peppercorns for 30 seconds until just fragrant. Place in a mortar or spice grinder with the chilli flakes and grind.
2. Mix together the soy sauce, peanut butter or tahini and water and set aside.
3. Heat a wok to hot and add the oil. Finely chop the mushrooms (or blitz in the blender) to replicate mince, then add to the wok with the mince and stir fry for 5 minutes to brown. Add the reserved ground peppercorns, garlic, ginger, chilli and stir fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add the stock, bok choy stems and shiitake and bring to the boil, then cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the bok choy leaves, bean sprouts, tomatoes, spring onions and stir fry for a few minutes until hot through, then stir through the peanut butter mixture.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, cook the fresh or dried noodles according to packet directions, then drain and mix with a little of the oil and set aside.
7. Serve noodles topped with mince mixture, coriander and peanuts, sesame seeds and chilli oil if liked.

Top Tip

You can substitute any vegetables into these noodles - add vegetables that need a longer cooking time, such as beans or carrots, at the same time as the shiitake mushrooms and quicker cooking vegetables, such as spinach or snow peas, with the bean sprouts.

MADE WITH