When I was growing up in Pakistan, my family often ate at various Chinese restaurants in Karachi. While I loved all the food, my most favourite dish was called pan fried noodles. I remember my parents ordering it, and because the thin noodles were so crisp, you actually had to cut into the dish with a knife to carve out everyone’s share. And if you didn’t eat your noodles fast enough, the delicious sauce poured over the top would make them somewhat soggy.

In China, where this dish originated, pan fried noodles is sometimes called liang mian huang, meaning ‘two-faced pan fried noodles’, since they are crisp on both sides. Other times, it is referred to as the ‘king of the noodle’, depending on where you are eating. You could add any meat or seafood of your choice and definitely vegetables. The noodles are thin, crisp and cooked golden on the outside and soft on the inside. Getting it right is always a challenge.

When I first moved to New York, I searched in vain at local restaurants for pan fried noodles, and was sad to find that not many offered this dish. What I didn’t know then was that the majority of Chinese restaurants in the US were ‘fast food’ restaurants, and they were not familiar with pan fried noodles. They also catered more to the American palate, and were likely to stir fry noodles rather than fry them crisp.

In search of authentic food, you would need to make your way to Chinatown. There, you’ll find large bowls of soup with meat and vegetables, fish and tofu, congee cooked with what are called “thousand year old eggs”, dim sum, steamed buns stuffed with minced meat, Peking duck, and I could go on and on forever with my list. And definitely, there, you’ll find the famed pan fried noodles. Chinatown is a very animated place. There are scores of shops and, in many ways, the set up resembles the markets and bazaars of the pre-mall days of Karachi. Bohri Bazaar is the name that comes to my mind. When I lived in New York City, I went to Chinatown often to shop for food, groceries and other items. In my mind, perhaps it was like another Karachi.

To make a really good pan fried noodles dish, look for thin egg noodles, and cook them in boiling water for only two to three minutes (or you will overcook them). And, be sure to rinse them in cold water and leave them in a colander to drain completely. Your noodles must have zero water on them afterwards. And your sauce must be flavourful, or you won’t appreciate the dish very much. You must be ready for the recipe, now that I’ve whetted your appetite!

The crispiness of the golden noodles, topped with meat, prawns, vegetables and sauce, creates an authentic Chinese food experience

Pan Fried Noodles

Ingredients For the Noodles

4-6 ounces of thin (uncooked) egg noodles preferably 2 teaspoons of oil (for boiling the noodles)3-4 cups of water2.5 serving spoons of oil 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the sauce

1 teaspoon hoisin sauce 2 teaspoon soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce (optional) 1 teaspoon white vinegar (optional) 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil — add more if required 2 tablespoons cornflour 1 teaspoon sugar, preferably brown (or more if you like) 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock (prepared ahead)

Meat, prawns and vegetables

4 ounces chicken cut into small pieces 12 medium size prawns cleaned (optional) 2 carrots, shredded
10 snow or green peas 10 baby corn cobsThimble size ginger, choppedThree garlic cloves, chopped 5 leaves of spring or green onions 2.5 serving spoons of oil

Method

Noodles

Bring to boil three to four cups of water in a medium size pot. Throw in salt and two teaspoons of oil. Place noodles in the pot and cook at the most for three minutes. Stir to separate the noodles. Turn off the stove and pour the contents of the pot into a colander. Immediately, pour cold water over the noodles, and leave to dry completely. You might want to prepare the noodles at least two hours before you start the sauce.

While you’re waiting for the noodles to dry, start preparing the sauce, meat, prawns and vegetables (see below). After you’ve done that, take a pan big enough to accommodate all the noodles, or fry in two batches, and divide oil usage accordingly. Put two serving spoons of oil in it, on a medium to high stove. When the oil becomes hot, put the noodles in, and let them fry. Move them around intermittently, giving all the noodles a chance to fry. They must fry crisp. If your oil is not hot enough, your noodles will not fry crisp. When done, remove them on to a plate.

Sauce

In a medium size bowl, mix the hoisin, soy and oyster sauces. Add sesame seed oil, sugar and white vinegar to the sauces. Mix in stock of chicken or vegetables and, finally, cornflour, and stir well. Keep aside.

Meat, prawns and vegetables

In a medium size pot, heat two serving spoons of oil, and toss in chicken and prawns, letting them cook for five minutes. Throw in carrots, snow peas, green onions and baby corn and let everything cook together for another five minutes. Remove the contents from the pan onto a big plate. Heat half a serving spoon of oil in the pan, and toss in garlic and ginger. When they turn brown (be careful not to burn them), mix them with the chicken and vegetables, and put everything back into the pot. Now add the sauce, and stir. Turn on the stove to medium heat, and cook for another five minutes.

Assembling the meal

Place the meat, prawns and veggies with sauce over the hot crispy noodles. Be sure to chow them down quickly, or else the

sauce will make the noodles soggy and you will not be able to appreciate the experience of eating pan fried noodles in an authentic way. Enjoy!

Published in Dawn, EOS, August 9th, 2020