This Zucchini with Glass Noodles dish may not be a traditional Chinese recipe, but it’s one of my favorites. I always order it when I visit Cantonese restaurants because the combination of tender zucchini and chewy glass noodles in a savory sauce is irresistible.
With the approaching arrival of summer comes the welcome arrival of zucchini. We all know that when zucchini comes out of the garden, it might be hard to come up with new methods to cook it, therefore we decided to write this recipe in advance of that time.
Dried mung bean vermicelli noodles soak up the taste of the chicken stock, oyster sauce, and other seasonings, making this dish equally enjoyable as a main or side dish. Tender and sweet, the zucchini is delicious.
How About Some Dried Vermicelli?
Many varieties of noodles with “vermicelli” in their names can be found in the noodle section of your neighborhood Chinese supermarket.
Vermicelli come in two primary varieties, both of which are extremely thin noodles (even thinner than angel hair pasta). White rice vermicelli, which becomes more opaque when cooked, is the first. Like our chicken mei fun and singapore mei fun, it is a staple ingredient in stir-fries. In addition, we use it in our signature Coconut Curry Noodle Soup.
However, mung bean vermicelli is essential to this dish. Because of their see-through appearance after cooked, these noodles go by several names, such as “glass noodle” and “cellophane noodle.” Sweet potato starch noodles exist and are very similar to those prepared from white flour.
We have long used Lungkow, one of the most popular brands of mung bean vermicelli.
The recipe needs 2 cups of chicken stock because these noodles soak up a lot of liquid. After a few minutes of boiling, the noodles will have absorbed most of the liquid (and taste! ), despite the dish’s initial soupy appearance. The meal should have a thin soupy consistency rather than one that is fully dry.
Ingredients:
For the Ground Meat:
- 4 ounces of ground pork or ground chicken
- 2 teaspoons of water
- 1 teaspoon of Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch
For the Rest of the Dish:
- 3.5 ounces of dried mung bean vermicelli (glass noodles)
- 1 pound of zucchini (cut in half lengthwise; sliced on an angle into thin strips)
- 2 chopped scallions (white and green parts separated)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon of finely minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon of any neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons of light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
Instructions:
1. Mix the ground pork, water, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch in a medium basin. Dedicate a separate space for.
2. For best results, soak the dried noodles in a dish of water for at least 10 minutes. Extract the liquid, and set it aside. Mix the chicken stock, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, and dark soy sauce in a large bowl or liquid measuring cup. Dedicate a separate space for.
3. Heat the oil in a wok and add the ginger and scallion whites. About a minute is enough time to cook.
4. In a large skillet, turn the heat up high and add the ground meat and garlic. Wait a minute longer or until the meat is no longer translucent. The Shaoxing wine comes next.
5. After 30 seconds of stirring, add the stock combination you prepared earlier and the zucchini. Glass noodles should be added once the liquid has reached a simmer. Reduce the liquid by half and cook the zucchini for 3 minutes, uncovered, stirring periodically.
6. Add the scallion greens and serve immediately, or use them as a garnish if you like.