This makes a feast of a meal for one or many. I’ve given quantities for a solo dinner, but it’s very easy to scale up according to how many you’re feeding. It’s also easily adaptable, because you can top the noodles with all manner of things. It’s a bowl of midweek home comfort for me, and something I eat with my own family all the time.
Crispy chilli egg instant noodle bowl
A great dish for when you’re in a rush. It uses a packet of instant noodles and just a few other ingredients, but it still packs in lots of flavour. I like to garnish the bowl with frankfurter octopuses for a bit of fun.
Prep 5 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 1
1-2 frankfurters
1 x 100g packet instant ramen noodles with a dried soup sachet
For the chilli egg
1 egg
2 tbsp spicy chilli oil – I use Lee Kum Kee
To serve (all optional)
Spicy chilli oil
Blanched mixed vegetables, such as pak choi (bok choi), broccoli, spinach and Chinese cabbage
Red fermented bean curd or tofu
Soy sauce
Sliced spring onions
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds
To make the frankfurter octopuses, cut each frankfurter in half across the middle, then use a sharp knife to cut lengthways two-thirds of the way up each piece, leaving the remaining top third intact – this will be the octopus head. Rotate the piece of frankfurter by 90 degrees, cut each cut section again so each piece now has four legs, then cut each of these again to make eight legs. Be careful when cutting, because the frankfurters can break easily.
Bring a pan of water to a boil and drop in the frankfurters – the legs will curl up within two minutes and the pieces will start to look a bit like octopuses. Lift out carefully with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Cook the noodles in the same pan of boiling water for five minutes, or until al dente, then drain; if you are using vegetables as an accompaniment, lift out the noodles with a slotted spoon and blanch the vegetables in the same hot water.
While the noodles are cooking, make the chilli egg. Put two tablespoons of chilli oil (without any sediment) in a wok or frying pan on a high heat and wait until it’s sizzling. Crack in the egg – the edges should bubble up and turn crisp almost immediately – then cook for two or three minutes, spooning the hot oil over the top until the white is set.
To serve, pour 200ml boiling water into a large bowl, then stir in the sachet of soup powder that comes with the noodles. Add the noodles, then top with the frankfurter octopuses and vegetables, if using. Slide in the crisp egg and spoon over a little chilli oil sediment. Top with sesame seeds, spring onions and anything else that takes your fancy.
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This recipe is an edited extract from Simply Chinese Feasts: Tasty Recipes for Friends and Family, by Suzie Lee, published by Hardie Grant at £24. To order a copy for £21.12, go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply
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