Creamy 10-Minute Peanut Noodles
By Verna Gao
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Easy
"Growing up in Shanghai, summers were hot and super humid and this really affected my appetite. When I wanted anything but warm food, my mum would hand me a bowl of cold noodles tossed in a luscious creamy sauce and topped with thinly sliced cucumber, which I’d slurp up in no time.
I love this dish. It can easily be adapted to suit any taste, in particular a vegan diet, and is delicious with or without spice. It’s also particularly good with white meat, like grilled chicken or turkey.
The creamy sauce is usually made with Chinese sesame paste, rice vinegar, light soy sauce and sugar, but since Chinese sesame paste isn’t readily accessible, and tahini isn’t quite the same, I often use peanut butter to get the same nutty flavour.
I find the sauce delightfully addictive – it’s something to do with the combination of savoury and the slight sweetness of the peanut butter.
I always have dried noodles, peanut butter and the other store cupboard ingredients to hand, so it’s no surprise that this is one of my most go-to recipes."
[Have You Eaten?: Deliciously Simple Asian Cooking for Every Mood by Verna Gao is published by DK, £20. Photo credit: Lizzie Mayson]
Ingredients for Creamy 10-Minute Peanut Noodles
For the Peanut Sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- ½ tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
To Serve
- 200g steamed chicken breast, shredded, optional
- ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds, optional
- 1 tsp Easy Chilli Oil
- 1 handful of chopped spring onions
Method
- Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold running water, then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients for the peanut sauce together, adding 1 tablespoon of water to loosen the mixture. If it’s still too thick, add another 1 tablespoon of water.
- Toss the cooked noodles in the peanut sauce, mixing thoroughly until evenly coated.
- Spoon the peanut noodles into two serving bowls, top with the chicken, if using, and finish with the sesame seeds, spring onions and a splash of chilli oil, if you like. Serve straightaway.
About the author
Verna Gao grew up in Shanghai, and moved to London soon after her parents divorced. When she first arrived in the UK she spoke very little English and used cooking as a way to feel more connected to her Chinese heritage. She soon built a following among friends for her delicious food - leading impromptu cooking classes at her college. This following has since grown well beyond the school gates: she now has over 200k followers on Instagram @vernahungrybanana.
