Creamy noodles with cabbage in spicy coconut sauce, steaming hot, with the tang of citrus and the simply divine fragrance of Thai basil….. comfort food extraordinaire! I see it as the Asian equivalent of Pasta with Marinara sauce and fresh basil pesto. As always, though, the inevitable challenge – how do I get more protein in my vegetarian meal? In this case, I have a rather simple solution – loads of crushed roasted peanuts! Does this sound a bit like Pad Thai? Yes, of course it does. After all, I patterned this recipe after Pad Thai, yet another of my favorite comfort foods. The combination of noodles and peanuts makes up a complete protein, so I have decent nutritional balance in my meal plan.
Why use this combination of ingredients?
While designing the recipe, I wanted to pair the carbohydrate-dense noodles with something that was lighter and provided nutrients not found in the noodles. Cabbage, relatively inexpensive and nutrient-packed, fits the bill perfectly. It is also easy to prep and cooks very fast in the microwave. Simple to make on a busy weeknight, you can have this dish ready in under 30 min. Shredded cabbage sort of resembles the general shape of the stringy noodles, adding extra visual appeal to the finished dish. The Thai-inspired flavors go well with cabbage too, so the combination works rather nicely. The rest of the ingredients are mostly pantry staples or common garnish items likely to be on hand.
The end result? A balanced one-dish meal, a bit heavy on carbs, for sure, but oh, so very satisfying. So, maybe we can also add some cucumber and carrot sticks on the side, for a lovely bit of juicy crunch to counter the punch of the spicy noodles.
The Make-it Quick Plan
The name of the game is Parallel Processing! Everything does not need to be fully prepped before beginning to cook ! First, set the water to boil for cooking the noodles. While waiting for it to do so, wash and shred the cabbage and prep everything else – ginger, cilantro, lime, peanuts. Mix the coconut milk with the curry paste. After you add the noodles to the boiling water, though, stop doing anything else! Why? The delicate and thin noodles cook very fast – about 2-3 min and it’s done. So, if you are not alert, you will most certainly end up with noodle-mush! Strain the noodles immediately in a colander, then run cold water through to cool them fast. Season the cabbage, microwave for a couple of min, then toss with the noodles, along with the coconut sauce and basil leaves. That’s it!
When ready to eat, heat the prepared noodle-cabbage mixture till steaming hot – about a couple of minutes in the microwave. Squeeze lime juice and spread the roasted crushed peanuts over it. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with a simple salad – cut up cucumbers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, etc.
Fill up your bowl, throw on some extra peanuts if you like, find a comfortable spot and dig in! Mmmmm….these delightful creamy noodles with cabbage will surely hit the spot!
If you cannot have peanuts, perhaps you can substitute with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds to add nutty crunch and protein.
Creamy Noodles with Cabbage in Tangy Coconut Sauce
Equipment
- Microwave oven; if not available, can prepare on the stove-top. Detailed instructions in Recipe Notes
- Microwave-safe, wide glass/ceramic containers- (pie plate, casserole dish OK)
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked thin Chinese noodles: cooked and smeared with 1/2 tsp oil also sold as Hakka noodles (wheat) in Indian grocery stores; vegetarian noodles
- 4 cups cabbage – shredded green cabbage; Napa/Savoy Cabbage OK too
- 1/2 inch (piece) fresh ginger slivered thin, 1/2 inch pieces; or finely chopped/shredded
- 4 tbsp coconut milk canned or fresh; divided: 2 + 2 tbsp
- 2 tsp Thai Red Curry paste store-bought OK
- 2 tsp Fresh red chilli paste home-made, or store-bought Sambal Oelek brand, or other preferred brand; adjust as per spice level preference
- 10-12 leaves fresh Thai basil leaves; torn roughly to release flavor; if not available, omit
- 1 tsp fresh garlic (optional) minced/grated
- 1/2 tsp salt adjust as per taste preference
- 2 tsp Jaggery Powder also called Gud / Punjabi Shakkar; if not available, light brown/white sugar OK; adjust as per taste preference
Garnish
- 1 tbsp fresh lime/lemon juice fresh preferred; if not available, bottled juice OK
- 6 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts- crushed coarsely
- 1/4 cup cilantro- chopped
Instructions
- Set water to boil in a large pot for cooking the noodles. Put enough water so that the noodles do not get crowded while cooking.
- While it is heating up, wash and shred the cabbage and prep the ginger.
- Spread ginger on top of the cabbage and microwave in a shallow, wide glass/ceramic bowl, uncovered, for 2 min on high. (See recipe notes for alternative stove-top directions)
- Mix 2 tbsp of coconut milk with the Red Curry paste, fresh chilli paste, salt and jaggery powder.
- Pour the sauce on top of the cabbage – spread it out.
- When water starts boiling, add the noodles to the boiling water. Stir and watch closely to prevent overcooking. Follow cooking directions on package – typically takes only 2 1/2-3 min. Strain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop further cooking and remove residual starch from the noodles.
- Drizzle with 1/2 tsp oil, mix gently to spread the oil and set aside, spread out on top of the cabbage.
- Using your fingers, gently stir to mix cabbage and the seasoned coconut milk with the noodles. I like to do this with my hands, rather than with tongs, which can cause the delicate noodles to break. Set aside for about 5 min to allow flavors to blend.
- When ready to serve, tear the Thai basil leaves to release their flavor and tuck them inside the noodle cabbage mixture (spread them out). Drizzle the remaining coconut milk evenly over the top and microwave, uncovered, for 4-5 min on medium high (50% power), till steaming hot. (See recipe notes for alternative stove-top directions)
- Squeeze lime juice all over, top with crushed peanuts and cilantro, and serve immediately with a lime wedge.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Pics Oct 15
that was quite fast and looks good too ?
make it and enjoy!
Tempting, that too with such less ingredients. Shall definitely try it out.
Do let me know how you like it!
Super quick & super tasty asian/thai style noodles.
Thanks! I make them pretty often, even on busy weeknights, for exactly these reasons.