Recipe & Images by Amber Bremner
This simple noodle dish is inspired by the flavours of Vietnamese chả cá lã vọng, a traditional Hanoi fish dish that features turmeric, black pepper, garlic and dill. I actually couldn’t find dill anywhere, so used coriander instead and the result is a delicious, fragrant, vibrant yellow bowl of noodles that kind of gives Asian aglio e olio vibes (if you know, you know). Don’t skimp on the black pepper, this recipe uses a generous quantity as the spicy element. And of course, if you have dill, feel free to use it instead of coriander. This is very quick to make (it can be on the table in under 10 minutes) and makes a great lunch or light meal as it is, or consider adding some salt and pepper tofu (see note) and steamed greens to make it a complete meal. I used Chinese flat wheat noodles which are sturdy and work very well here. You could also use rice stick noodles for a gluten free alternative.
Serves 2 (generously)
Paste
2 spring onions, very finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh turmeric (peeled and finely grated)
2 tbsp cooking oil
3 cloves garlic (peeled and finely grated, about 2 tsp)
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
300g dry noodles of your choice
1 cup finely chopped coriander (or dill)
½ cup roasted cashews, finely chopped
lemon or lime for squeezing
Stir paste ingredients together in a small bowl.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add noodles and cook according to packet directions (until just cooked). Chinese flat wheat noodles take about 4 minutes.
While the noodles are cooking, heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add paste and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add cashews and cook together for another minute.
When the noodles are done, drain them then add to the frying pan. Use tongs to mix the noodles with the paste, cooking for another 1–2 minutes, until everything is evenly mixed and the noodles are vibrant yellow. Add the chopped coriander right at the end of cooking time, along with a splash of water if needed to loosen the noodles a bit.
Transfer to serving bowls, squeeze with lime or lemon and serve immediately.
Note
To make salt and pepper tofu, toss cubed firm tofu with half a cup of cornflour, 2 tsp freshly ground pepper, and 1 tsp roughly ground salt. Shallow fry until golden and crunchy.