Somehow, having meals in a bowl is more comforting and tasteful for me or maybe I’m just plain lazy, haha! I think that’s why noodles is always on the top of my favorite foods list. If I come across an authentic Southeast Asian store, I make sure to surf around and pick up something with familiar yet new flavors. Even though it’s quite difficult to find authentic sauces without fish sauce, anchovies, etc. I do manage to get my hands on a sauce or two to satisfy my taste buds. 😀
In this recipe, I’ve used fermented chili bean paste. If you’re using the same brand I’ve used, on its own it is really salty so be careful while adding additional salt to the noodles. I’ve put 1/4 tsp salt for the recipe below. Feel free to alternate vegetables to your liking.
Here’s what you’ll need :-
Rice Vermicelli Tossed in Fresh Veggies & Chili Bean Sauce
Ingredients
- 125gm Rice Vermicelli (I’ve used Real Thai)
- 2 medium-sized carrots cut in diagonal strips
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup green beans diagonally cut
- 1 medium-sized onion cut in julienne
- 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
- 6-7 cloves of finely chopped garlic
- 2 tbsp fermented chili bean sauce (I’ve used Lee Kum Kee as show in the picture below)
- 2 tbsp dark soya sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- Juice of 1/2 a lime
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Directions
To Soften Rice Vermicelli – Soak rice vermicelli in a bowl of warm water for at least 10-15 minutes. Make sure it’s fully submerged. Drain the water after it softens up.
To blanch vegetables – Boil water in a pan and add 1/2 a tsp of salt to it. Add in the veggies when the water boils. Keep the flame on low and cook the veggies for 2-3 minutes and pass the veggies through a strainer. Keep aside.
Bringing it all together
1. Heat oil in a pan/wok. Add in onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes on a medium-high flame.
2. Next add in your blanched vegetables. Give it a quick toss and add in salt and black pepper along with lemon juice. Turn the flame off.
3. In a separate bowl, add in dark soy sauce, chili bean sauce and honey to the vermicelli along with the blanched veggies and give it a good mix. Add in a splash of hot water if it feels dry.
4. Transfer vermicelli in a microwave-proof container with a lid and place it in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Alternatively, instead of using the microwave, you can add in the sauces and vermicelli after step 2 on a medium-low flame to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.
5. Serve hot.
Happy eating 🙂
