Taiwanese Stir-Fry Noodles (Chao Mi Fen)
TikTok creator Tiffy Chen shares her grandmother's recipe for Taiwanese stir-fried rice vermicelli noodles. Packed with cabbage, mushrooms, carrots and savoury seasonings, it's a comforting noodle dish perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
- 300 g rice vermicelli noodles
- 1½ tsp olive oil
- 450 g cabbage sliced
- 1 cup Chinese celery cut into 2-in (5-cm) pieces
- ½ cup thinly sliced carrot
- 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
- ½ cup sliced fresh black fungus
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- 2½ cups water approx
- 1 tbsp shallot oil see note
- 1 tbsp fried shallots recipe below
Homemade Fried Shallots (optional)
- 25 shallots (approx 450 g) thinly sliced crosswise
- 4 cups vegetable oil
Garnish
- fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- In bowl, cover noodles with cold water and soak for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, celery, carrots, mushrooms and black fungus. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms start to sweat, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper and sugar. Add water and bring to a simmer. Add noodles and, using chopsticks, loosen them to prevent breaking. Mix to evenly coat in the sauce.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. If noodles are still firm, add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, until they’re fully cooked. Gently stir in shallot oil and fried shallots.
- Transfer to large serving plate and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.
Fried Shallots
- Thinly slice shallots crosswise.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°F on a deep-frying thermometer.
- Working in batches, fry the shallots ½ cup at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp. Watch closely, as they can burn quickly.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried shallots to a paper-towel-lined plate. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Notes
Shortcut: Store-bought fried shallots can be substituted if preferred. Homemade fried shallots can be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Reserve the shallot-infused oil for stir-fries, steamed vegetables or noodle dishes.