This one-pot noodle dish is great if you are in a rush and don’t want to do a lot of dishes. 節瓜蝦米粉絲 is a classic Chinese stir-fry dish which normally features hairy gourd (節瓜), dried shrimp (蝦米) and rice vermicelli noodles (粉絲). Since I live in the UK and it’s not always easy to find hairy gourd, I substituted with courgette instead.
The dried shrimp and mushrooms are really important because it brings a really rich umami flavour, while the vermicelli noodles absorbs the savoury broth. It’s a really light yet flavourful dish!
ingredients:
- 1 courgette, sliced
- 1 serving rice vermicelli noodles
- 1/4 cup dried shrimp
- 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
- 1 cup reserved mushroom water (from soaking the dried mushrooms)/ chicken broth
- 1 tsp ginger, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
steps:
- Heat oil in a pot, then sauté garlic and dried shrimp until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms and cook for another minute.
- Next, add the sliced courgettes and stir for another minute. Pour in the reserved mushroom water, then stir in oyster sauce, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
- Finally, add the noodles and simmer for 2 more minutes until fully cooked and absorbed. Serve hot and enjoy straight from the pot if you like!
