Mongolian Beef with Crispy Noodle Nests | Abel & Cole
Mongolian Beef with Crispy Noodle Nests
Clock Image
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
This is a super speedy, Mongolian inspired stir-fry. You'll whip up your own homemade noodle nests that’ll make for a rather special midweek treat.
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721 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
Recipe Ingredients Image
  • A thumb of ginger
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 chilli
  • 2 tbsp tamari
  • A 250g pack of beef stir-fry strips
  • 2 bundles of Thai rice noodles
  • 1 bunch of salad onions
  • 2 carrots
  • A 75g bag of baby leaf spinach
From your kitchen
  • 1 tsp + 3 tbsp olive oil
You'll need
  • A couple of bowls
  • Medium pan
  • Colander
  • Measuring jug
  • Deep frying pan or wok
  • Ovenproof dish
  • Kitchen paper
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Peel and grate the ginger and garlic. Halve the chilli and flick out most of the seeds. Finely chop it. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli to a bowl. Pour in 1 tbsp of the tamari. Add the beef strips. Stir to combine, then leave to marinate.

  • 2.

    Bring a pan of water to the boil. Drop in 2 noodle bundles and cook for 3 mins. Drain the noodles into a colander, reserving 100ml of the starchy water. Shake the colander to remove as much excess water as possible. Tip into a bowl. Stir in 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of the tamari. Leave to cool.

  • 3.

    Trim the salad onions. Cut the dark green parts off and set aside. Finely slice the rest and add to the noodles. Use a fork to make a nest by sticking it into the noodles and twirling to swirl some noodles and salad onions together. Slide off the fork onto a plate. Repeat to make 4 nests.

  • 4.

    Trim and peel the carrots, then cut them into thin matchsticks. Cut the reserved green parts of the salad onions in half lengthways. Set your oven to its lowest temperature.

  • 5.

    Heat a deep frying pan or wok over a high heat for 1 min. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and the beef along with its marinade. Stir fry over a high heat for 3-4 mins. Pour in the reserved starchy water. Bring to a bubble, then add the carrots and green salad onion tops. Cook for 3-4 mins to soften the carrots.

  • 6.

    Tip the beef and carrots into an ovenproof dish and keep warm in the oven. Wipe the pan clean. Set the pan back on the heat. Pour in 2 tbsp olive oil.

  • 7.

    Place 2 nests in the hot oil and cook for 2 mins. Flip them over with a spatula. The bottoms should be golden and crispy. Fry for 2 more mins to crisp the top. Lift out of the pan and sit on some kitchen paper to drain. Repeat with the remaining nests.

  • 8.

    Stir the spinach through the beef to wilt it. Serve the beef with the crispy noodle nests.

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