Once you try them, you can’t stop these addictive noodles!
When I was living in Japan, I often enjoyed ‘ankake yakisoba’ at Chinese restaurants. Ankake Yakisoba is a noodle dish with thick sauce, meat or seafood, and vegetables. Then, when I came to the US, I found a similar noodle dish, but the noodles were crispy. It’s a Hong Kong/Cantonese-style dish, but I first tried it at a Vietnamese restaurant, and I also discovered it at Thai restaurants. So, I assume it’s a popular noodle dish in Asia.
I enjoy preparing easy recipes, and while the crispy noodle dish is easy to make, it does require a bit of work for the preparation, like cutting various vegetables and mixing several different ingredients for the sauce. However, once you’re done with that part, it’s easy and entirely worth it because it tastes so good!
Normally, the crunchy noodles are deep-fried. The great thing about this recipe is that to achieve the crispiness, I use an air fryer, which means less oil and fewer calories, but the noodles are still as crispy as deep-fried ones. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can use a Teflon frying pan with about 1/4 inch of oil in the pan.The noodles absorb the thick sauce, giving you both chewy and crispy textures in your mouth. That’s incredibly delicious.
When you go to an Asian restaurant and order crispy noodles, you can usually choose chicken, beef, vegetables, or seafood. So, when you make it at home, just use whatever you like or have on hand. I really love seafood, so I had frozen shrimp and octopus in my refrigerator, so I used them.
Feel free to use different vegetables, add bean sprouts, or even snap peas according to your preference. While you can skip the wood ear mushrooms/black fungus, their crunchy texture pairs wonderfully with the noodles and enhances the flavor.
Ingredients serving 4-5 people:
Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Sake
- 2 tbsp Hoissin or Oyster sauce
- 4 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Chicken Bouillon
- 1 tsp White Pepper
- 1 tsp Sesami Oil
The ingredients to put in the sauce:
This measurement is an approximate quantity for 4-5 servings, but feel free to adjust the amount to your liking.
- 5 leaves of Napa Cabbage
- 1 Carrot
- 1/2 Onion
- 1 cup of Seafood
- 1/4 cup Black Fungus/Wood Ear Mushrooms
- Your choice of Mushrooms
- 1 can of Baby Corn
- 1 can of Quail Eggs
- Corn Starch with 5 tbsp Water
- 450ml Water
Noodles
- Dried Chow Mein Noodles
- Water
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Instructions:
Soak dried Black Fungus/Wood Ear Mushrooms in water. They expand quite a bit when soaked, so be mindful not to use too much.
Cut the vegetables. If you’re using Napa Cabbage or regular cabbage, cut the core and leaves separately, as the leaves cook faster.
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a cup.
Boil the noodles in water. The boiling time depends on the type and amount of noodles, but make sure they’re just soft enough, not overly soft. Then, drain the water and add olive oil, mixing well.
If you have an air fryer, place the noodles in it and cook in air fryer mode at 400°F for about 15 minutes, flipping them over for an additional 7 minutes. The cooking time may vary depending on the air fryer, so keep checking until the noodles become crispy. If you’re using a frying pan, add the olive oil and once it’s hot, place the noodles in it. Leave them for a few minutes until they turn brown, then flip them and transfer to a plate.
Drain the water from the Black Fungus/Wood Ear Mushrooms.
Add olive oil to a wok or frying pan and add minced ginger and garlic.
Start by adding the Napa cabbage core/hard part and carrots. Then add the leaves, mushrooms, onion, Black Fungus, seafood, quail eggs, baby corn, and sauté until they are heated through.
Add the sauce, mix well, then add water. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until it boils.
Once it boils, turn off the heat. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water, then pour it into the wok/pan and stir. The sauce should thicken. If you want it thicker, you can add more cornstarch. Always mix cornstarch with water first before adding it.
Place the crispy noodles in a dish and pour the sauce over them. Now it’s time to enjoy!
Feel free to adjust the flavor by adding more sugar or soy sauce to your liking. If you want to add snap peas or broccoli, do so at the end to keep their vibrant green color and prevent them from becoming too soggy.
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