The World Curries class this week at my cooking school provided the ingredients and inspiration for this cup-o-noodles. The cilantro had turned to black mush. How does it do that so quickly – it’s the worst. The exotic garlic chive flowers remained in excellent condition, happily soaking up water in a vase in the fridge. The peppers and carrots would add color and by caramelizing them in oil with some finely chopped ginger m they would become the star of the dish.
For the photo, I kept the liquid to a minimum, so as not to obscure my new bowl (I’m such a show off). But you can add as much broth as you wish. The ginger, garlic, and lemongrass are all integral to the taste, but the garlic chives can be switched out for scallions, regular chives, ramps (getting exotic again), or cilantro. Hot pepper flakes, siracha sauce, thinly sliced hot red or green peppers (I used small serranos for their grassy flavor, nicely tieing in to the lemongrass and garlic chives), whatever satisfies your heat tolerance.
The garlic chive flowers are both beautiful and edible. If you find them , bring them home. They’ll be the talk of the dinner party!
- 1 package Cambodian Noodles
- 1 tablespoon roasted peanut oil
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced in ¼-inch strips
- 3 carrots, thinly sliced in ¼-inch strips, lengthwise
- 2" piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
- 1 - 2" piece lemongrass, smashed
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 to 4 cups vegetable broth, as desired
- 1 baby bok choy, thinly sliced
- 8 to 12 garlic chives, cut 1-inch long
- 1 to 2 serrano peppers, thinly sliced (optional)
- Juice of 1 lime
- Prepare the noodles as directed on the package.
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the red bell pepper, carrots, and ginger. Cook until the vegetables are beginning to caramelize and let off some of their natural oil. (It will be a red-orange color).
- Add the lemongrass and garlic and continue cooking another 2 minutes.
- Add the tamari, salt, vegetable broth, bok choy, garlic chives, and hot pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Place the noodles in a bowl. Pour the liquid over the noodles. Arrange the vegetables over the noodles, removing the lemongrass stalk. Add the lime juice.
- Serve hot.
As always, add whatever you have on hand. Any vegetable, hot sauce, such as broccoli, parsnips, chrd, kale, daikon, some baked tofu, or herbs such as Thai basil or cilantro. Then you’ll never reach for ramen in a container again!
– Sheila
