Classic Chun Bing Mixed Veg Stir-Fry
炒合菜
English: Classic Chun Bing Mixed Veg Stir-Fry
Chinese: 炒合菜
Pinyin： chao he cai
Literal: Stir-fried mixed vegetables
When you need one more dish for chun bing, this is a reliable classic that brings together soft vermicelli noodles, fluffy scrambled eggs, crunchy wood ear mushrooms and beansprouts, and aromatic Chinese chives, all tossed in a light soy-based seasoning. The beauty of this dish is in its contrasting textures and clean, savoury flavour. It's quick to make and comes together in one hot wok in under 15 minutes.
The key, as with most stir-fries, is high heat; fast cooking so the vegetables stay crisp and the noodles don’t get mushy. The vermicelli should be soaked (not boiled) before stir-frying, and added last so they absorb the flavours without disintegrating.
Serves 4
Ingredients
50g dried of glass noodles（粉丝）
1 ½ tablespoons of light soy sauce
4 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
½ tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon oyster sauce
200g beansprouts
75g fresh wood ear mushrooms (about 30g if using dried)
100g Chinese chives - chopped into 2-inch pieces
Method
Place the glass noodles into a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water and set aside for 10 minutes.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk with the ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Heat a wok over medium heat and then add a teaspoon of oil. Pour in the eggs and leave for ten seconds or so, until the edges begin to frill. With a spatula, push the edge of the egg towards the centre, allowing the raw egg to spill over. Do this over and over until the egg is cooked. As you do this, break the egg into chunks. When just cooked, remove from the wok and set aside.
Once the noodles are soft, drain the water and then drizzle ½ a tablespoon of light soy sauce over them and mix.
Heat the wok over a medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and then add the garlic and fry for 10-20 seconds, or until fragrant.
Increase the heat to high, add the beansprouts and wood ear mushrooms with the five-spice powder and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the scrambled egg back into the wok and break it into bitesized chunks with your spatula.
Pour the soy sauce down the side of the wok (this cooks the soy sauce and gives it a richer flavour) with the oyster sauce and sprinkle over the sugar.
Add the Chinese chives and noodles to the wok and continue to toss until the chives wilt and are cooked. Taste and season with salt if needed, then serve.
