I make variations of stir-fried mushrooms and tofu with noodles (or rice) all the time, but this one, topped with a homemade peanut chilli crisp oil, has gone straight to the top of my repertoire. And the chilli oil couldn’t be easier to make, plus there’s enough to stash in the fridge for the week to come – spoon over eggy crumpets, fried rice or cheese on toast.
Chilli crisp-topped noodles with tofu and cabbage
Prep 20 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 2-3
2 tbsp sesame oil
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
150g shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
280g firm tofu (I like Tofoo), cut into 1cm cubes
15ml soy sauce
½ sweetheart cabbage, roughly chopped
200g straight-to-wok udon noodles
Sea salt, to taste
For the chilli crisp oil
50ml neutral oil – I use mild olive oil
5g chilli flakes
50g salted peanuts, left whole
Put a large frying pan or wok on a medium heat, then add one tablespoon of the sesame oil. Stir-fry the ginger, garlic and spring onions for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms and fry, stirring, for two minutes more. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then stir in the tofu and fry for two minutes on each side. Add the soy sauce and 20ml water, then scatter in the chopped cabbage. Cover the pan, lower the heat, and let the cabbage steam for three minutes.
Meanwhile, make the chilli crisp oil. Put the oil in a small saucepan on a low heat for two minutes – it needs to be hot without being burningly so; if it’s shimmering or smoking, it’s too hot, so let it cool a little, if necessary. Add the chilli flakes and peanuts to the hot oil – they should sizzle without burning – then take off the heat.
Add the noodles to the cabbage pan and stir-fry for two minutes, or according to the packet instructions. Taste and adjust the salt as needed, then serve the noodles hot and topped with a teaspoon of chilli oil. Be warned, it is very hot, so have a taste before adding more. The remaining chilli oil will keep for a week in an airtight jar in the fridge.
