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What is your favorite dinner on summer? Mine is strictly light meals which have to be low in fat, cheese, butter and excess oil free. I know most of you will agree with me and suggest steamed and boiled food but did I mention my last but most important criteria? The food has to be tasty. Considering all my criteria I can’t think of anything but Chinese; Healthy Chinese for these hot summer days. For past few days I enjoyed over rich spicy Indian dishes to make my tummy happy during the Bengali New Year celebration. Now it’s time to look after the health along with the taste-buds.
Today I’m sharing the recipe of a “moderately” healthy Chinese noodles preparation, Peking Style Noodles. I deliberately called it moderately healthy cause it has pork and beef but you can substitute them with chicken or cottage cheese aka paneer or even tofu. To Chinese People Peking is known as ‘Real China’ for it’s authenticity. I’ve tasted this Peking Style Noodles on streets of Taiwan, more precisely in Night Markets of Taiwan. I’ve adapted this recipe from one of my Chinese friend who owns a Food Joint in Taipei. So lets take a small ride to Taiwan through this Peking Style Noodles if you haven’t been to the beautiful country yet.
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
Noodles: 200g
Minced mutton/pork/chicken: 250g
French beans: ½ cup, chopped in 1” length (optional)
Fresh ginger: 1½ tsp, grated
Fresh garlic: 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Spring onion: ¼ cup, finely chopped + 2 tbsp for garnishing
Ground black pepper: 1 tsp
Dark soy sauce: 1 tbsp
Chili bean sauce: 2 tbsp
Dry sherry or rice wine: 1 tbsp
Sesame oil (or olive oil): 2 tbsp
Salt to taste (if requires at all)
Sugar to balance (if requires at all)
Meat stock: 1 cup (depending on which meat you are using. It is always preferable not to mix and match. E.g if you are using chicken then opt for chicken stock only)
Preparation:
Boil water in a large heavy bottomed pan. Add salt and ½ tsp of oil. Once bubbles start coming up switch off the flame and dunk in the noodles. Within 2/3 mins noodles will start separating. Once separated drain the water and plunge the noodles in ice cold water. Transfer the noodles into a large bowl. Drizzle sesame oil or olive oil; toss and keep aside covered.
Heat oil in a pan until oil is smoking hot. Add ginger garlic and onion in hot oil sauté for 2-3 mins on high flame. Add spring onion, beans and minced meat and continue frying on high flame until veggies and meat are almost done. Stir continuously to avoid burning.
Once meat and beans are almost done add rest of the ingredients and continue cooking for next 2-3 mins and bring it to boil. When bubbles start forming simmer the flame and keep uncovered for 3-4 mins. By the time sauce will thicken a bit.
In the meanwhile, remove the cover from the noodles and dunk the noodles into the simmering sauce. Switch off the flame and mix the noodles with the meaty sauce.
Transfer immediately into the serving plates and garnish with spring onion. Serve hot. This can be served with either simple chili & dark vinegar sauce or any gravy of your choice. I chose Shanghai Style Braised Chicken to serve with it.
Rimli this looks really inviting, i too like light meals in the evening!