Mongolian Beef with Crispy Noodle Nests
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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Tonight you’re going to ride across the Mongolian steppes and serve up a quick beef stir-fry with crispy noodle nests in the yurt you’ve pitched under the stars. Or you could make this marvellous Mongolian meal at home in your kitchen. It’s up to you.
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595 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • A thumb of ginger
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 chilli
  • 2 tbsp tamari
  • 2 tsp China 5 spice
  • 250g beef stir-fry strips
  • 2 bundles of Thai rice noodles
  • 1 red onion
  • A handful of coriander
  • 2 carrots
  • 50g baby leaf spinach
From your kitchen
  • 1 tsp + 3 tbsp olive oil
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. Add 1 tbsp of the tamari and 2 tsp China 5 spice. Tip in the beef stir-fry strips. Stir to coat, then set to one side to marinate.

  • 2.

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

  • 3.

    Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Add the sliced onion to the noodles. Use a fork to make a nest by sticking it into the noodles and twirling to swirl some strands and spring onions together. Slide off onto a plate. Repeat to make 4 nests. Set aside.

  • 4.

    Trim and peel the carrots, then cut into thin matchsticks. Roughly chop the coriander. 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 cooking water from the noodles. Bring to a bubble, then add the carrots. 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 and set it back on the heat. Pour in 2 tbsp olive oil.

  • 7.

    Place 2 noodle nests in the hot oil and cook for 2 mins. Flip them over with a spatula. The bottoms should be golden and crisp. 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, scattered with the chopped coriander.

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