Winter Melon Stir-Fry with Tofu & Glass Noodles
By Uyen Luu
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Easy
"Simple vegetable stir-fries are nice, but sometimes they need jazzing up a little with slippery glass noodles, which soak up all the flavours in the most delicious way."
Vietnamese Vegetarian by Uyen Luu (Hardie Grant, £25), Photography by Laurie Noble.
Ingredients
- 300g medium-firm tofu, sliced into 1cm pieces
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1–2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped (optional)
- 250g winter melon, peeled and seeds removed, thinly sliced
- 100g fine glass noodles soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, drained
- 250ml aloe vera juice or coconut water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon shop-bought crispy chilli oil
- 1 bird’s eye chilli, sliced
Method
- Prepare and fry the tofu, and set aside. Bring a large wok or frying pan (skillet) to a high heat. Add the oil, garlic and chillies, if using, and fry until the garlic starts to turn golden. Throw in the winter melon and leave to sizzle for a minute or until the bottoms have turned slightly brown before adding the noodles and tofu strips.
- Toss and stir-fry for a minute, then add half the aloe vera juice, the vegetarian oyster sauce and soy sauce. Stir-fry to combine all the elements together for another minute. If it looks dry, add aloe vera juice as needed. Once the noodles and vegetables have wilted and are embracing each other, remove from the heat and serve immediately on a large sharing plate with the black pepper and crispy chilli oil (if using) or chilli, if you would like.
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About the author
Uyen Luu is a Vietnamese food writer, blogger and food photographer based in London. She has released two cookbooks to date 'My Vietnamese Kitchen (2013)' and 'Vietnamese (2021)'. She also hosts a Vietnamese supper club in her East London studio where she cooks dishes she learned from her mother.
