Indonesian Stir-Fried Noodle Bowl

SERVES 4

Mei goreng or bami goreng is a popular street food all over Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It is a sweet and spicy dish of noodles fried with vegetables and eggs. The sauce usually calls for kecap manis, a thick, sweet sauce, but here we will make our own sauce using tamari, mirin, fresh ginger, and garlic. (Recipe from Vegan Bowls,  copyright © 2015 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.)

NOODLES

8 ounces medium-thickness brown rice noodles

SAUCE

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup reduced-sodium tamari

1/4 cup mirin

1 tablespoon sambal oelek, or to taste

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon natural sugar

VEGETABLES

1/4 cup vegetable broth, divided

1 small red onion, cut into 1/8-inch slices

3 cups small broccoli florets

3 cups finely shredded cabbage

1 celery rib, cut into 1/8-inch slices

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or vegetable broth

6 ounces baby kale or baby spinach

1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed in a bowl of hot water and drained

NOODLES: Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Add the noodles and cook just shy of al dente, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Drain the noodles and cool under running water. Set aside.

SAUCE: Combine the broth, tamari, mirin, sambal oelek, ginger, garlic, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

VEGETABLES: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of broth and the onion. Stir and cook until the onion is browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside in a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of broth to the skillet. Add the broccoli. Stir and cook until the broccoli begins to char, about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, celery, garlic and 1 tablespoon of broth. Stir and cook until the cabbage begins to char, about 2 more minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside with the onion. Add the sauce to the skillet and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the oil or 2 more tablespoons of broth, the kale, the edamame, the reserved noodles, and the reserved vegetables. Stir and cook until the pasta is warmed through and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with more sambal oelek and tamari. Serve hot in bowls.