IMBB #24: Black Bean Noodles - on a shoestring

On any Saturday or Sunday along the streets of Chinatown you’ll hear the ubiquitous cries from the various fruit and veg’l stalls: gow gow!! Often imitated, the word simply means nine-nine, the universal word for: cheap.

As I walked along the sidewalk in Chinatown on Saturday afternoon, I considered the theme for this month’s IMBB hosted by Too Many Chefs: a meal that can be made in 30 minutes or less. For this recipe, I will top it all off by adding yet another challenge: it’s made from ingredients that you can acquire at any Asian market for about gow gow (99 cents) each. I’ve never actually seen it on a Chinese restaurant menu, but if you like the flavour of black beans and you like noodles, you will like this!

Here it is, a dish that my mother would whip up on a Sunday afternoon after church (presumably because it was simple and quick), I now associate it with a warm kitchen, and, more importantly, a warm belly. Enjoy!

Ingredients



1 pack of rice stick
Peppers (I used red and yellow)
Green onion
Any other crunchy veg you like! Nappa cabbage, snow peas, sprouts, carrots, celery…I actually threw in a few florets of broccoli O and I had last night with dinner
Protein: in this recipe I use chicken, but I’ve also used tofu and pork spare ribs and they’re tasty too!
Oyster Sauce
Black Beans
Garlic
Pepper

Method:

Soak your black beans and noodles in room temp. water. Note: Black beans can be purchased at any Asian market. Look in the preserved foods section. It will come in a little bag for about - you guessed it - 99 cents. Buyer beware: a little goes a long way. These little buggers are stinky when they come out of the bag, but a good soaking will tame these salty specimens and mellow to an earthy tang. As well, in terms of seasoning, this dish does not need extra salt - the black beans have enough to go around.

In the meantime, slice your veg'ls into similar sized slices. At this point you can also chop your protein into bite-sized pieces.



Elapsed time: 8 minutes

Smash the black beans and combine with chopped garlic. These little guys need a good grinding - make them into a paste. You know the saying: beans beans, the magical fruit? These are no exception, BUT if you grind them well, the effect won't be as - how should I put it - robust.



So now, the easy part. Heat up some oil
Stir fry the meat (add a little oyster sauce for flavour) and set aside.

Elapsed Time: 13 minutes

Stir fry the veg'ls (add a little oyster sauce AND the ground black beans) and set aside. Add some water to the pan if the beans get a little sticky.

Elapsed Time: 18 minutes

Add some oil to the pan and fry up the noodles. This type of noodle tends to get a little dry, so keep adding water to help them along.

Elapsed Time: 24 minutes.

Now, add the meat and the veg'ls and cook together for a few minutes.

Elapsed Time: 28 minutes.

Serve with toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!



Tagged with: IMBB24 + 30Minutes