In this article, I want to share one of my favorite noodles, vegetable stir-fry noodles, Cantonese style.

The uniqueness of this recipe is that the noodles are pan-fried until fragrant before stir-frying with other ingredients. This step is the secret to why the traditional Cantonese fried noodles are so yummy, with an additional layer of wok aroma not found in other stir-fried noodles.

I also use two eggs to make a very thin omelet, then cut it into strips. You may want to scramble the eggs, a more common method, or omit it for a purely vegan option.

Let’s get started.

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1. Prepare the noodles

You can use any Asian noodles for this recipe. Rice noodles, ramen noodles, udon noodles, buckwheat, egg noodles, rice vermicelli, and even spaghetti are all suitable. Thin noodles are my noodles of choice, which have a larger contact surface with the wok during pan-frying, which generate a better wok aroma in the process. These types of noodles are available in any Asian grocery store.

1. Follow the packet instructions for the noodles if you use dry noodles. According to the instructions for the noodles, I had to cook the dried noodles in boiling water for two minutes and drain them. 
2. Place the noodles on a piece of dry cloth. The cloth will absorb water from the noodles. If the noodles are wet, they will stick to the wok later.
3. Remove the cloth, and add some oil to the noodles so that they will separate from each other.

2. Make a thin omelet

I use a well seasoned cast-iron wok to make the thin omelet. However, a large skillet or large frying with a non-stick surface is equally workable if you do not have the wok.

1. Heat some oil in the wok until it slightly smokes. There is no need to use plenty of oil if the wok is well-seasoned or a non-stick pan.
2. Pour the beaten eggs into the wok over medium heat and immediately spread the egg into a large thin layer. Next, turn down the heat to let it cook slowly.
3. Turn the thin omelet over once the egg has set and pan-fry the other side.
4. Transfer the egg to the chopping board, cut the eggs into strips, and set them aside for later use.

3. Pan-fry the noodles

Pan-fry the noodles before sit-frying is a unique method in Cantonese cooking. It is also why the noodles taste so yummy.

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the wok until it slightly smokes.
2. Pour the noodles into the wok over medium heat. Next, use a pair of chopsticks to coat the noodles with oil thoroughly. 
3. Spread the noodles into a thin layer to let them pan-fry for a while.
4. When the noodles at the bottom are charred slightly, Flip the noodles over to pan-fry the other side.
5. Loosen the noodles again and continue the pan fry process. Repeat this process five times until all noodles have had a chance to contact the hot surface of the wok or a large skillet. This step is essential to differentiate this Cantonese fry noodle dish from other cooking methods. The noodles with a slight char surface will give the best results. It will taste as good as those served in Chinese restaurants.

Tips:

• It is crucial to keep the noodles as dry as possible. The pan-frying process will be more efficient to slightly char the noodles’ surface if they contain less water. Moreover, the noodles tend to stick to the wok’s surface if they are too wet.
• The noodles you use may differ from what I use, so please refer to the instructions on the packaging.

4. Prepare the ingredients

a. The sauce

The savory sauce for stir-frying is simple. You only need some light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and some vegetarian oyster sauce if you prefer. I would suggest mixing all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl before pouring them into the noodles so that You can mix them thoroughly with the noodles.

b. Other ingredients for the vegetable stir-fry noodles

Simple Cantonese vegetable stir-fry noodles use only onion, spring onions, and carrot as the ingredients apart from the eggs. So I changed the recipe by adding some mushrooms and snap peas, snow peas, Chinese broccoli, and spring onions.

The ingredients are pretty much a personal choice. You can use other fresh vegetables such as bean sprouts, spinach, bok choy, cabbage, green beans, baby corn, celery, bell peppers, broccoli, and any vegetable. Tofu and tofu puffs are also excellent to add extra protein to the noodle dish.

1. Cut the shiitake mushrooms into strips.
2. Remove the stem part of the shimeji mushrooms.
3. Cut the carrot into strips.
4. Cut the white section of the spring onions (green onions) into short rings and the green section into one inch in length.
5. Slice the onion into rings, then loosen it.

5. Stir-fry the noodles

1. Heat some oil in the wok again, then start by stir-frying the onion and carrot strips. When the onion and carrot turn soft, add the mushrooms and Chinese broccoli except for the spring onions. 
2. Season the vegetables with some salt.
3. When the vegetables turn aromatic, add the cooked noodles and loosen them with a pair of chopsticks to combine the noodles with the vegetables.
4. Reduce the heat to low, and season the noodles with light soy sauce, dark sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, some ground white pepper, and some salt.
5. Add the spring onions and egg stirps when the seasoning has thoroughly mixed with the noodles. Continue to stir-fry over high heat for half a minute.
6. Lastly, add half a teaspoon of sesame oil, mix and dish out. You can add some sesame seeds as garnish if you like.

Variations for this vegetable stir-fry noodles: Add some chili paste or red pepper flakes if you prefer them to be spicy.

Other related Asian cuisines to vegetable stir-fry noodles

Since you like this vegetable noodle stir fry recipe, I suggest you can also try the following stir-fried dishes on this blog:

• The stir-fry vegetable recipe is one of my favorite recipes on this blog. It is a combination of broccoli, carrot, snow peas, cauliflower, and bell peppers, wither with or without prawns.
• This bok choy stir fry might be downright simple for some people, especially those who grew up in a typical Cantonese family. However, it is deceptively tricky to recreate this iconic Chinese dish at home to taste like those from the restaurant. Ge the recipe and tips here.