Glass Noodles with Napa Cabbage (白菜炖粉条)
Glass Noodles with Napa Cabbage combines soft, translucent sweet potato noodles with tender napa cabbage in a savory stir-fry seasoned by Sichuan pepper, dried chili, soy sauces, and oyster sauce. The cooking technique starts with toasting Sichuan peppercorns in oil, infusing the dish with a mild numbing aroma before quickly stir-frying cabbage pieces and then mixing in the softened noodles. This recipe results in a pleasant contrast between the tender greens and the slightly chewy noodles, enhanced by aromatic spices and umami-rich sauces.
Ingredients
- 80 g dried sweet potato noodles about 3oz (see note 1 for substitutes, or potato noodles
- ½ head Napa cabbage about 300g/11oz, aka Chinese cabbage
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper whole
- dried chili pepper to taste
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 talks scallion chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce light
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce see note 2 for vegan substitutes
- 120 g water about ½ cup
Instructions
Prepare
- Put the dried noodles into a large bowl. Add hot water and leave to soak for 5 minutes until they become pale and pliable but still hard to break with nails (see note 3). Rinse under running water to cool. Drain well then set aside.
- Tear the leafy part of the napa cabbage into pieces, then cut the firm white part into strips.
Stir-fry
- Add oil and whole Sichuan pepper to a cold wok (frying pan/skillet). Over low heat, toast the peppercorn until you see intense bubbles appear and smell its fragrance. Use a spatula to remove it from the wok leaving the oil in the wok.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high. Add dried chilli pepper, garlic and scallions (leave some for garnishing later). Fry until the garlic turns lightly golden on the edge.
- Put in the white part of the napa cabbage. Stir fry for 30 seconds or so. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and water.
- Toss to evenly distribute the seasoning, then put in the leafy part of the cabbage and the noodles.
Braise
- Mix well then cover with a lid. Leave to cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes. The cooking liquid should be fully absorbed by the noodles at this point (if not, cook a little longer uncovered).
- Sprinkle the remaining scallions to garnish. Serve warm on its own, or as part of a multi-dish meal with steamed rice.
Notes
- Sweet potato noodles can be round or flat; if unavailable, mung bean vermicelli is a suitable substitute with adjusted soaking time.
- Vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom stir-fry sauce can replace regular oyster sauce for a plant-based option.
- Do not soak noodles too long; soak flat noodles about 10 minutes and rinse after soaking to prevent over-softening.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 2 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 227
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 227kcal | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.