Description
A flavorful Asian-inspired noodle dish featuring tender pak choi, silky noodles, and crispy fried eggs drizzled with a homemade spicy chili oil infused with aromatic spices, garlic, and shallots. This dish balances savory, tangy, and spicy notes for a satisfying meal perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chilli Oil Ingredients
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 4 small shallots, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 head of garlic (about 8–10 cloves), thinly sliced
- 1 x 10cm cinnamon stick
- 4 star anise
- 500ml vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
- 30g crushed red chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
Main Ingredients
- 2 heads pak choi, each halved through the core
- 2 tsp Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- pinch of sugar
- 200g cooked noodles (straight-to-wok noodles, egg, udon or ramen noodles)
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Make the Chilli Oil: In a wide pan or deep frying pan, combine the shallots, garlic, cinnamon stick, star anise, and 500ml vegetable oil. Heat gently to a sizzle over low-medium heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots and garlic are crisp and golden brown but not burnt. This requires careful heat control to avoid burning.
- Toast Seeds and Spices: Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden, then transfer to a bowl and set aside. Toast cumin seeds and Szechuan peppercorns in the same pan for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Grind these toasted spices into a powder using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Mix with the toasted sesame seeds.
- Combine Chilli Oil Ingredients: Add chopped ginger, crushed red chilli flakes, soy sauce, and caster sugar to the bowl with the toasted spices and sesame seeds. Strain the hot oil through a sieve over the bowl, leaving the crispy bits of garlic and shallots in the sieve to cool and crisp further. Discard cinnamon stick and star anise. Stir the cooled crispy garlic and shallots into the spiced oil mixture. Store in a sterilized airtight jar; refrigerate up to two weeks.
- Prepare Pak Choi: Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok. Add the halved pak choi with a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Stir-fry quickly for about a minute. Cover the wok with a lid or baking tray to steam the pak choi for another minute. Remove and let drain on a plate.
- Cook Noodles with Sauce: In the same wok, combine Chinese black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, pinch of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of the prepared crispy chilli oil. Bring to a bubble, then add the cooked noodles. Toss over high heat for a few minutes until noodles are soft and sauce clings well. Divide noodles into two bowls and top with pak choi.
- Fry Eggs with Chilli Oil: Wipe out the wok, add a drizzle of crispy chilli oil along with about 2 teaspoons of sediment from the jar. When hot and sizzling, crack eggs in and fry until edges are crispy, spooning hot oil over the eggs to cook evenly. Slide fried eggs over the noodles and garnish with additional crispy bits from the chilli oil jar as preferred.
Notes
- Keep the chilli oil refrigerated in an airtight sterilized jar for up to two weeks.
- Use any type of noodles you prefer, such as egg noodles, udon, ramen, or straight-to-wok noodles.
- If you don’t have a lid for the wok, a baking tray or any flat cover works well for steaming pak choi.
- Watch the oil temperature carefully while making chilli oil and frying eggs to avoid burning the garlic and shallots.
- Adjust the amount of crushed red chilli flakes to your preferred spice level.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: noodles, chilli oil, crispy eggs, pak choi, Chinese cuisine, stir-fry, spicy oil
