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Noodles with Bok Choy - Make a Quick Meal

Rinse and cut Bok Choy, separating green tops from white bottoms. Chop the greens, and quarter the bottoms lengthwise; slice onions and garlic. Mix the seasoning sauce ingredients. Cook the noodles al dente and drain in colander. Add the seasoning sauce to the noodles and mix well, then add chopped Bok Choy greens and use your hands to distribute evenly. Saute the garlic, onions and Bok Choy bottoms, add seasonings and cook for another minute. To serve, heat noodles in the microwave, top with the stir-fried vegetables and serve hot.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 2 people
Calories 462 kcal

Equipment

  • Microwave oven (for final heating, just before serving); if not available, use a wok on the stove-top, or a steamer assembly.

Ingredients
  

  • 4 oz Thin Asian noodles - about 3-4 small bundles (2-3 larger bundles) Chinese Vegetarian noodles; Canton style noodles; Hakka Noodles - available in Indian grocery stores in the US; do not use thick noodles or Pasta to make this dish
  • 10-12 pieces Small Bok Choy / Baby Bok Choy; about 4-5 inches long dark green leafy tops, crisp white bottoms; if not available, use another variety - with pale green bottoms, slightly darker leafy tops; readily available in Asian grocery stores in the US; also called Pak Choi / Pok Choi
  • 2 cups Onions - sliced lengthwise, not too thin about 1/8 inch (2-3 mm) thickness
  • 1-2 cloves Garlic - about 1 tsp - slivered
  • 2 tsp Sesame oil I prefer cold-pressed oil, not one made from toasted sesame seeds; if sesame oil is not available, use another mild-flavored oil; peanut oil works well; I do not recommend olive oil for this recipe
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 2 tsp Soy sauce low sodium preferred
  • 1 tsp Fresh chilli paste - Sambal Oelek I like "Sambal Oelek", widely available in the US; if not available, use your preferred red chilli paste; see Recipe Notes if you want to make a small batch of fresh chilli paste
  • 1 tsp Paprika if not available, use 1/2 tsp of any mild, bright red chilli powder - Byadgi chilli powder works well.

Seasoning Sauce for Noodles

  • 2 tsp Sesame Oil
  • 2 tsp Soy sauce regular or low-sodium
  • 1 tsp Fresh chilli paste - Sambal Oelek
  • 2 tsp Rice Vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp Ginger powder
  • 1 tsp Sugar

"Protein" Topping

  • 1/4 cup Roasted cashews or crushed roasted peanuts

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the seasoning sauce for the noodles: place soy sauce, chilli paste, rice vinegar and sugar ( ingredients for the sauce) in a small bowl; stir to mix.
    noodle seasoning sauce
  • Add sesame oil and ginger powder, stir and set aside.
    noodle sauce
  • Set about 6 cups of water to boil in a medium large pot - for cooking noodles. Keep it on medium heat, while you prep the vegetables.
  • Thoroughly wash each piece of Baby Bok Choy and drain in a colander. Cut each piece about 2 inches from the bottom, separating the white bottoms from the dark green leafy tops. Check the inside parts of the white bottoms - sometimes there is dirt hiding there, which needs to be washed off.
    rinsed Baby Bok Choy
  • Cut each piece about 2 inches from the bottom, separating the white bottoms from the dark green leafy tops. Check the inside parts of the white bottoms - sometimes there is dirt hiding there, which needs to be washed off.
  • Chop the leafy greens: collect the greens in a bunch and first cut into about 1/4 inch wide ribbons, then turn the cutting board 90 degrees. Cut the ribbons across, into about 1/4 inch square pieces.
  • Trim a thin slice from the bottom edges of the white Bok Choy bottoms (hearts), then quarter each piece, lengthwise, into 4 wedges.
  • Slice the onion lengthwise (root-to-shoot), not too thin - about 1/8 inch thickness.
    Slice garlic clove in half lengthwise, then slice each half into long slivers.
    Bok Choy-oions and garlic prep
  • By this time, the water should be boiling. Turn heat down to low, and set a timer for 2 minutes.
    Add the tightly coiled noodle bundles.
    dried thin noodle bundles in water
  • After about 30 seconds, start teasing the softened strands apart with two forks, taking care not to break them. Push the tines of the forks into different parts of each bundle and gently pull apart. Repeat with the remaining bundles.
    If the timer goes off while you're doing this, turn the heat off and continue. The noodles are cooked al dente in about 2 min.
    Do NOT overcook noodles.
  • Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under running water- the cool water stops the noodles from continuing to cook further.
    Let them drain thoroughly - about 5 min
    drained thin noodles
  • Transfer drained noodles to a shallow, microwave-safe serving dish- preferably glass/ceramic. Stir the seasoning sauce prepared earlier and drizzle over the noodles. Use tongs or your hands to gently and evenly distribute the sauce.
    noodles with seasoning sauce
  • Add the chopped Bok Choy greens, and mix with your hands to distribute evenly. Cover and set aside while you stir fry the onions and Bok Choy bottoms. If you plan to serve immediately, set the platter inside the microwave, so you can heat it quickly, once the onion-Bok Choy stir-fry is ready.
    seasoned noodles and bok choy greens
  • Heat sesame oil in a 10 inch frying pan, and saute the garlic on medium heat for 30 seconds.
    saute garlic
  • Increase the heat to high, add onions and quartered Bok Choy wedges, and stir fry for 1 min.
    stir fry bok choy and onions 1
  • Add Chilli paste, soy sauce and sugar and continue to stir fry for 1 min.
    add chilli paste to stir fry Bok Choy onion
  • Sprinkle Paprika and stir to mix. Turn heat off.
    add paprika to stir fry
  • Start heating the noodles - about 2-3 min on hi should get them steaming hot.
  • While noodles are being heated, transfer the stir-fry to a serving bowl. Cover loosely to keep warm.
    Optional:
    Add 1/4 cup water to the pan and scrape gently to collect the residual seasonings from the bottom and sides of the pan. Transfer this liquid to a small bowl. Stir in 1 tsp soy sauce and serve on the side as a sauce - to spoon over the noodles, if desired
  • Serve immediately, topping with crushed peanuts or roasted cashews on individual servings. Put out extra soy sauce and chilli paste on the side.
  • Enjoy!
    Noodles with Bok Choy-served

Notes

If Baby Bok Choy is not available:
Use any the following, instead of the green tops of Bok Choy
  • Other mild and soft leafy greens, such as
    • Baby Spinach 
    • Swiss chard - remove thick leaf stalks and veins (save for another use, such as salad or pickle)
    • Baby Swiss Chard
    • mixture of baby spinach and watercress greens - watercress greens have a slight mustard flavor, similar to Bok Choy greens
Use any of the following for the crisp white Bok Choy bottoms:
  • Bottom 2 1/2-3 inch portion of Napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage)
    • the thick leaf stalks have a similar succulent and crunchy texture. Cut into wedges
    • Save the crinkly leaves for another use - (use like regular cabbage)
  • Bottom 2 1/2-3 inch portion of Romaine lettuce 
    • the thick leaf stalks have a similar succulent and crunchy texture. Cut into wedges
    • Save the top crinkly leaves for using in salads
To make fresh chilli paste:
If you wish to make a small amount of fresh chilli paste, follow the directions below. Store leftover paste in covered glass bowl, use within 3-4 days.
Method 1:
From fresh Red Fresno peppers or Red Jalapeno peppers
  • Finely chop/mince 2-3 fresh red chilli peppers- yields about 3 tbsp
    • use a small spice grinder or chopper
    • afterwards, wash hands thoroughly
    •  
  • Add 1/8 tsp salt; stir, cover and microwave for 1 min.
  • Add 1/8 tsp citric acid, 1 tsp water, cover and microwave 1 min, till liquid dries up.
  • Mash slightly with the back of a sturdy spoon to blend ingredients to a chunky-smooth texture.
  • Cool to room temperature, then add 1 tbsp rice vinegar, or a bit more, to get a moist paste consistency
  • Set aside and use after 10-15 min.
Method 2:
From mild Red Bell peppers and spicy red chilli powder (cayenne)
  • Finely chop/mince about 1/4 medium-sized bell pepper- yields about 3 tbsp
    • use a small spice grinder or chopper
  • Add 1/8 tsp salt; stir, cover and microwave for 1 min
  • Add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne), 1/8 tsp citric acid, 2 tsp water; stir, cover and microwave 30 seconds, till liquid dries up.
  • Mash slightly with the back of a sturdy spoon
  • Cool and add 1 tbsp rice vinegar;
  • Set aside and use after 10-15 min.
 
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate leftover noodles and stir-fried Bok Choy-onion mixture separately, in glass/ceramic containers with well fitting lids. I do not recommend freezing the leftovers: their texture after thawing is not very appealing.
  • Consume refrigerated leftovers within 2-3 days
    • Microwave noodles and stir-fried mixture separately on medium power (40-50% power) until steaming hot. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 462kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 12gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 469mgPotassium: 1259mgFiber: 5gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 719IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 183mgIron: 6mg
Keyword Baby Bok Choy, Coconut Aminos, crushed roasted Peanuts, Garlic, Ginger powder, Hakka noodles, Low sodium Soy Sauce, Rice vinegar, Roasted Cashews, Sambal Oelek, Sliced onions, Thin Chinese noodles
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