Vegetarian noodles in soup
My earliest recollection of the Chinese countryside is of a trip to a Buddhist temple high up in the wooded hills a few miles from Nanchang, my grandparents’ home town, south of the Yangtze River. I was about four or five at the time, and my parents had just returned from Europe after an absence of two years or more. There was an atmosphere of joyousness and festivity – it might well have been at the time of Chinese New Year. It was customary to pay a visit to a temple both before and after a long journey, as well as during the New Year celebrations, not so much for religious worship but rather out of a sense of duty, and to carry on the tradition.
What I remember most vividly to this day is not so much the beautiful scenery which was to become very familiar later on in my life, but the delicious vegetarian noodles in soup the monks offered to their guests on that occasion. The taste was quite unlike anything I ever had before, and totally different from what my nanny used togive me for my colds. Imagine my amusement when, thirty years later and more than ten thousand miles away in London, looking through an old manuscript in the British Museum Library I came across this recipe. Again I have left out a few unusual items included in the original.
1 oz (25 g) dried bean curd skin
3-4 dried mushrooms
1 oz (25 g) dried Tiger Lily
1/2 lb (225 g) fine noodles or vermicelli
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornflour
a few drops sesame seed oil
Method
Soak the dried bean curd skin in cold water overnight or in warm water for about 1 hour, then slice into thin strips. Thinly slice the dried mushrooms, too. (Tiger Lily needs no slicing as it is in thin strips already.) Keep the water in which all these have been soaked to use as stock for the soup.
Cook the noodles or spaghettini in boiling water according to the instructions on the packet. (Normally this would take about 5 minutes, but freshly made noodles will take only 2 minutes or less). Be careful not to overcook them, or they will become soggy. Drain the noodles and rinse in cold water, then drain again. Place in a large serving bowl. Keep them warm while you quickly stir-fry the vegetables in hot oil for a few seconds. Add salt, sugar and soy sauce. Continue stirring for a few more seconds, then add about 16 fl oz (450 ml) stock and bring to the boil. Finally, mix the cornflour with a little cold water to make into a smooth paste and add to the pan to thicken the soup before pouring it over the noodles. There should not be too much liquid – only just enough to half cover the noodles. Garnish with sesame seed oil before serving.
According to my source, this dish was offered to the Emperor of China on each New Year’s Day – traditionally a fast day. I daresay after the rich feasts he had had all the year round this simple dish was a welcome change for his digestive system!
© Deh-Ta Hsiung and reproduced with his kind permission.
