Short of planting my own xiao bai cai and kneading my own dough for fresh noodles, it gives me great pleasure to say that I made my own plate of wantan mee. All within 15 minutes.
You'd probably remember my previous post on the effortless 4-3-2-1 homemade char siew, and another on what I'd affectionately call "my little soldiers on standby in the freezer". If you foresee a few solo meals ahead for whatever reason (especially if you're a SAHM, or when the spouse goes on a business trip), I'd strongly recommend that you upgrade your meals by staying away from MSG-laden instant noodles. All because eating without your loved one is miserable enough, let alone eating crap without your loved one. Instead, make the dumplings and char siew in large batches, preferably on different days, zero-pressure, and you'll have many 15-minute meals to enjoy.
You'd probably remember my previous post on the effortless 4-3-2-1 homemade char siew, and another on what I'd affectionately call "my little soldiers on standby in the freezer". If you foresee a few solo meals ahead for whatever reason (especially if you're a SAHM, or when the spouse goes on a business trip), I'd strongly recommend that you upgrade your meals by staying away from MSG-laden instant noodles. All because eating without your loved one is miserable enough, let alone eating crap without your loved one. Instead, make the dumplings and char siew in large batches, preferably on different days, zero-pressure, and you'll have many 15-minute meals to enjoy.
This is a hearty serving of wantan mee, which I doubt you'll ever find at any hawker stall. No, not even if you ask for "extra ingredients". If you haven't got one already, get a strainer as it is very useful for blanching or boiling stuff. It doesn't cost much - this beautiful one you see here is from Daiso. At just RM 5, it has become one of my most used cooking tools. The cost-per-use is so insignificant now. *stunned*
Wantan Mee
Serves 1
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water (from the kettle)
100 g xiao bai cai (baby bokchoy)
4 frozen pork and shrimp dumplings
100 g char siew
1 ball fresh wantan noodles
Method:
Boil a kettle of water. While waiting, prepare the sauce in a small bowl. Prepare the xiao bai cai, place them in a medium saucepan and add a dash of salt. When the water boils, pour just enough in the saucepan to blanch the xiao bai cai. Add two tablespoons of the boiling water in the sauce mixture and stir thoroughly.
Scoop up the blanched vegetables and set aside. Put the frozen dumplings in the same saucepan, adding more boiling water if necessary. Cook the dumplings in a rolling boil for 5-6 minutes. As they cook, the dumplings will start to prune, revealing the contours of the fillings. While the dumplings are cooking away, microwave the char siew for one minute on high heat.
Scoop up the dumplings and put them with the vegetables. Discard the water in the saucepan and refill with previously boiled water. Bring to a boil again, and blanch the fresh noodles for 1 minute (or according to the package instructions). Drain the noodles under a running tap to stop the cooking process and rinse off excess starch.
Place the noodles on the serving plate. Pour the sauce over and mix to coat the noodles evenly. Arrange the meat, dumplings and vegetables on top of the noodles. Serve immediately.
Serves 1
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water (from the kettle)
100 g xiao bai cai (baby bokchoy)
4 frozen pork and shrimp dumplings
100 g char siew
1 ball fresh wantan noodles
Method:
Boil a kettle of water. While waiting, prepare the sauce in a small bowl. Prepare the xiao bai cai, place them in a medium saucepan and add a dash of salt. When the water boils, pour just enough in the saucepan to blanch the xiao bai cai. Add two tablespoons of the boiling water in the sauce mixture and stir thoroughly.
Scoop up the blanched vegetables and set aside. Put the frozen dumplings in the same saucepan, adding more boiling water if necessary. Cook the dumplings in a rolling boil for 5-6 minutes. As they cook, the dumplings will start to prune, revealing the contours of the fillings. While the dumplings are cooking away, microwave the char siew for one minute on high heat.
Scoop up the dumplings and put them with the vegetables. Discard the water in the saucepan and refill with previously boiled water. Bring to a boil again, and blanch the fresh noodles for 1 minute (or according to the package instructions). Drain the noodles under a running tap to stop the cooking process and rinse off excess starch.
Place the noodles on the serving plate. Pour the sauce over and mix to coat the noodles evenly. Arrange the meat, dumplings and vegetables on top of the noodles. Serve immediately.
