At our recent chefs meeting at Parties That Cook, our chef chief, Bibby, mentioned she read an article on how San Francisco’s vegetarians are turning vegan and restaurants are getting into offering vegan on the menu.  Here’s the SF Chronicle article.   Yesterday, as I drove down O’Farrell to get to Sur La Table, I noticed a big blinking neon sign outside a Chinese restaurant that spells VEGAN!  I can just imagine some dude out in Guangzhou feverishly making neon signs that no longer says Free Delivery or All You Can Eat Buffet but a simple Vegan instead!

The nice thing about a lot of Asian cuisine is that they are typically vegan.  I love toying with the different noodle types made out of various different grains – buckwheat soba, rice vermicelli sticks, glutinous rice disc, mung bean cellophane noodles and here, sweet potato starch noodles.

Chef’s tip:  You’ve gotta eat this dish immediately.  Chilling a starch noodle makes the noodles stiff.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, sliced thinly, makes 1 cup
4 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 carrot, julienned
1 red pepper, sliced thinly
2 red jalapeno, seeded, and julienned finely, optional
2 sprigs green onion/ scallions, julienned into 2 inch sprigs, makes about 2 cups
2 cups baby spinach

Sauce:
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup tamari/ light soy sauce
2 tablespoon water

Noodles:
3-4 tablespoons sesame oil
6 oz potato starch noodles, soaked in hot water 10 mins

1. In a small bowl, mix all sauce ingredients.  Set aside.
2. Boil noodles according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.
3. Heat a wok over high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil, add garlic, onions, mushrooms.  Stir fry for 1 minute, push to the side, or remove from pan.
4. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil, stir fry carrots, red pepper and jalapeno.  Fry till fragrant and vegetables are tender – about 2 minute.
5. Add sauce mixture to the wok, and bring to boil.
6. Add noodles and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed. Toss in mushroom and spinach.  Cover and steam for 1 minute.  Add a little more water if necessary.
7. Garnish with chopped green scallions.  Drizzle with more sesame oil and soy sauce if necessary.
8. Serve immediately.

Serves: 6

Tags: Korean, noodles, vegan, Vegetarian