Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles Recipes

SHANGHAI HOT SAUCE NOODLES (LAJIANG MIAN -上海辣酱面）

Steps:

• Blanch the cubed pork in boiling water for 30 seconds, drain, and rinse. This keeps the final dish clear of any impurities/blood from the meat.
• Fry the peanuts in the oil on low heat for 2 minutes, until just starting to turn golden brown. More oil will be fried out of the peanuts, and the mixture will become fragrant.
• Add the chili bean sauce to the peanuts and oil, and stir for 30 seconds to bring out the color of the red peppers in the sauce and infuse the oil, which is what you are looking for in this dish.
• Next, add the onions and stir fry for 2 minutes on medium low heat until the onion begins to turn translucent.
• Add the carrots, five spice tofu, and sugar, and stir fry for another 3 minutes on medium heat. Next, add 1 cup of chicken stock and the blanched pork and continue to stir fry until the liquid has evaporated (about 5 minutes). Add another cup of stock and repeat the stir-frying again until the liquid has evaporated. This continuous stir-fry melds all the flavors together.
• Add the remaining 4 cups of stock, and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for another 30 minutes. Check the mixture every 5 minutes while simmering and give it a stir so the sauce on the side of the wok does not burn. The final sauce should have a cup of liquid and lots of oil.
• Boil the noodles according to package directions until al dente. Chewy noodles are always the best for soup!
• Divide the noodles and sauce among four bowls. Season with a little bit of salt if needed, and then pour over the water that you used to cook the noodles to create the soup. (This is how it's done traditionally, but alternatively, you can use more hot chicken stock as your soup). Serve hot, garnished with chopped scallions if using.

CHINESE SPICY EIGHT TREASURES STIR FRY

Steps:

• Stir fry the spiced bean curd with a teaspoon of oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Take it out of wok and set aside. Stir fry the carrot with a teaspoon of oil using medium heat for about two minutes...until softens slightly. Take it out of wok and set aside. Repeat the process another two times with the edamame and the cubed pork and set both aside.
• Then add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and stir-fry the garlic over medium heat for about a minute. Add the shrimp and stir to combine. Add the peanuts and stir for another 3-5 minutes, until they start to smell fragrant. Then add the green pepper and mix well. Now add all the pre-cooked ingredients: the bean curd, carrot, edamame and pork. Continue to stir and cook for another few minutes so that everything comes together. Add cooking wine, spicy bean paste, sugar, sesame oil, and the black bean chili sauce. Stir everything together and keep stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated and all the ingredients are well-coated in sauce. Plate and serve!

SPICY RICE NOODLES WITH CRISPY TOFU AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. As the oven heats, press the tofu (you can do this by sandwiching the block in paper towels and placing a cutting board, plus a heavy pot, can or book on top).
• Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. Add the salt and oils, and toss to combine.
• Sprinkle the cornstarch, panko and sesame seeds, if using, and toss gently so the tofu cubes are coated.
• Spread on the prepared sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once, until golden-brown and crisp.
• While the tofu bakes, start the noodles: Put the dry rice noodles in a big, wide bowl. Fill a kettle, bring the water to a boil, and pour the boiling water over the noodles to cover. Set aside for 6 to 10 minutes, until the noodles are fully rehydrated and soft. (Time may vary by brand.) Then drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Transfer noodles to a large bowl.
• As the noodles soak, prepare the spicy sesame oil: In a small pot, combine sesame oil, peanut oil, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes and sesame seeds. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook on the lowest heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the garlic slices turn golden.
• Meanwhile, on your cutting board, make a small mound with the teaspoon of salt. Place the basil and the scallions on top, and use your knife to furiously chop and smash until you have a rough paste.
• Mix the basil paste into the bowl of rice noodles. Pile the baby spinach on top. Pour at least half of the hot oil immediately over the spinach, tossing so that the heat wilts the leaves slightly. Then add the juice of the 1/2 lime and toss to combine. Taste for salt and lime juice, and add more oil as you see fit.
• Arrange the tofu on top of the noodles, or mix them in so that the cubes hide like little treasures. For extra flair, garnish with additional sesame seeds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

SPICY PEANUT NOODLES

Steps:

• Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
• Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter, chili crisp, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and ginger in a large bowl and whisk to combine. (The sauce might look curdled, but keep whisking until smooth.)
• Drain the noodles, add them to the bowl with the sauce and toss until the noodles are nicely coated. Garnish with chopped scallions and peanuts. Add additional chili crisp if you prefer more spice.

SPICY PAN-FRIED NOODLES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the scallions, soy sauce, ginger, rice wine or vinegar, sesame oil and salt. Let stand while you prepare the noodles.
• In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles until they are halfway done according to package instructions. (They should still be quite firm.) Drain well and toss with 1/2 tablespoon of the peanut oil to keep them from sticking, and spread them out on a plate or baking sheet.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the garlic and cook until crisp and golden around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Add half the scallion mixture and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add noodles; stir-fry until noodles are hot and lightly coated with sauce, about 30 seconds. Add eggs, spinach or edamame if using, sriracha, and remaining scallion mixture and continue to stir-fry until the eggs are cooked, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds or peanuts.

EIGHT TREASURE PORRIDGE DESSERT

Steps:

• Place red beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 3 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse.
• Combine red beans and barley in a pot; add enough water to fill 1/2 the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer until beans and barley are tender, about 1 hour.
• Mix rice into bean-barley mixture; add more water if it has all been absorbed. Cook rice mixture for 20 minutes. Add mung beans; cook for 20 minutes.
• Mix oats, millet, and tapioca into rice mixture; cook, stirring every 5 minutes, until all the grains are softened, about 20 minutes. Add more water to reach desired thickness of porridge. Stir brown sugar and raisins into porridge; cook for 5 minutes more. Remove pot from heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Serve hot or chilled.