Preparation time: 10mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

Special Equipment: Wok preferably or Fry Pan

Ingredients:

500g of fresh Asian noodles*
1 teaspoon of Sesame Oil
300g of Pork Mince
2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 and ½ cups of Snake Beans, cut into 3cm lengths*
12 Thai Basil leaves
1 small Eggplant, cut into sticks of 6cm lengths
¼ teaspoon of Salt
¼ teaspoon of raw Sugar
½ tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon of Oyster Sauce
¼ cup of Water
Chilli (optional)
Vegetable Oil

Cornflour Mixture:

¼ cup of Cornflour
¼ cup of Water

Create

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Normally this would mean cooking the noodles in a pot of boiling water and then draining them in a colander. Add the Sesame Oil and set aside.

To make the cornflour mixture, mix together the cornflour and the ¼ cup of water in a small bowl. Stir to form a flour solution. Dip the eggplant sticks into the flour and coat well.

In a separate medium sized saucepan, heat up enough Vegetable Oil to shallow fry the Eggplant. Once the oil has heated up, deep fry the eggplant for about 2 mins or until it appears crisp and golden. Drain and set aside.

In a wok or Fry Pan, heat up 1 tablespoon of Vegetable Oil on high heat. Add the Garlic and allow it to cook for 10 seconds. Next add the Basil leaves and fry for another 10 seconds until fragrant. Add the Pork Mince, allowing the mince to ‘sear’ on the wok before stirring. Add the Beans and toss well with all the other ingredients in the wok. Season with the Salt, Sugar, Soy Sauce and Oyster Sauce. Add the other ¼ cup of water, stirring well so that a light sauce is created. Cook until the beans appear slightly ‘withered’ or softened. This could take approximately 5 mins on high heat.

Prepare the bowls with the noodles. (Microwave the noodles if this has cooled down). Arrange the eggplant sticks evenly on top of the noodles on each of the bowls. Dish the Pork Mince and Beans evenly amongst the bowls and serve with fresh Chilli if required.

Serves 2-3

Refer ‘The Asian Pantry’