Glass Noodles with Napa Cabbage (白菜炖粉条)

What are Glass Noodles?

Also known as cellophane noodles, glass noodles are named as such because of their semi-transparent appearance and springy, slippery texture once cooked.
Unlike regular wheat noodles, they are made from the starch of sweet potatoes, potatoes, mung beans, etc. Thus they are gluten-free. They come in different forms and shapes.

• This recipe uses the thick type (right in the image above), which is commonly used in Northern and Western Chinese regions (also popular in Korean cuisine). Named Fen Tiao/粉条 in Chinese (meaning starch noodles), they can be either round or flat and are made with sweet potato or potato starch. I used the same to make the classic Sichuan street food Hot and Sour Glass Noodle Soup.
• You may also encounter the thinner type (left in the image above) known as bean thread noodles or mung bean vermicelli. These are called Fěn Sī /粉丝 in Chinese which translates as “starch threads”. Mung bean starch is their key component. Dishes using this type of noodle include Ants Climbing a Tree , Glass Noodle Salad, Garlic Shrimp with Vermicelli, etc.

You can find glass noodles in Chinese or Asian grocery stores in dried form, so they need to be rehydrated before using.

🛎 NOTE: Don’t confuse the thin type of glass noodles with rice vermicelli (what you find in Singapore Mei Fun). They’re made with different types of starch. The former looks much more transparent than the latter once cooked.

How to rehydrate

You can do this in two ways, using cold or hot water.

• Soak in hot water. I use this method for thick glass noodles, the ones made with sweet potato or potato starch. Soak them in hot water until they expand and become pliable. Five to ten minutes should be enough to get them sufficiently tender but still hard to break with nails. If you want them softer for adding to dumpling fillings, soak a little longer.

• Soak in cold water. This method will take longer. However, I think this is the best option when using thin glass noodles (mung bean vermicelli) as it is less harsh and will allow the noodles to soften gently.

Ingredients for the dish

Today’s recipe does not require a lot of ingredients to make. Apart from glass noodles and Napa cabbage, you will only need a few aromatics, spices, and basic Chinese condiments.

• Dried sweet potato glass noodles (or potato glass noodles). If you have trouble sourcing these two types, use mung bean vermicelli to substitute. Since it’s much easier to cook, reduce the cooking time accordingly.
• Napa cabbage. Commonly referred to as Chinese cabbage, it was a must-have vegetable in Winter when I was small. Nowadays you can find it all year round (Have you tried my recipe for Hot & Sour Napa Cabbage Stir-fry?).
• Spices and aromatics. Garlic, scallions, whole Sichuan pepper, and dried chilli pepper give the dish a fragrant, spicy, mouth-numbing flavour base!
• Sauces. For the umami-rich braising sauce, I used light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water.

🛎 SUBSTITUTES

• Vegan/vegetarian: Swap the regular oyster sauce with vegetarian stir-fry sauce (素⻝蚝油) or mushroom vegetarian stir-fry sauce (⾹菇素⻝蚝油).
• Gluten-free: use the gluten-free versions of soy sauce and oyster sauce.

Cooking procedure

Preparations

Soak your noodles. Place them in a bowl of hot water and soak for five minutes. If using the flat ones, increase soaking time to 10 minutes. Once they are pliable but still have a bite to them, rinse under running water then drain well.

Prepare the napa cabbage. Wash and dry thoroughly. Tear the leafy part off into small pieces, then slice the firm white part into strips.

Stir fry & braise

Add oil and whole Sichuan peppercorn to a cold wok (frying pan/skillet). Toast over low heat until aromatic and bubbles appear. Use a spatula to scoop the peppercorn out of the hot oil and discard.

Adjust the heat to medium-high and add dried chilli pepper, garlic and scallions (spring onion) to the hot oil.

Once the garlic edges turn golden and slightly crisp, put in white strips of the Napa and stir-fry for 30 seconds or so.

Pour in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and water. Toss everything together, so the sauce coats the vegetables evenly.

Add the noodles and green leafy part of the cabbage and mix well.

Cover the wok with a lid. Leave to cook for about 4 minutes. At this moment, the noodles should have fully absorbed the cooking liquid.

Transfer everything to a plate and garnish with scallions. Serve warm on its own or as part of a multi-dish meal with steamed rice.

Cooking Tips

• Glass noodles are very absorbent, so reduce the cooking time or add more sauce and water if you want your dish to be on the saucy side.
• Use a large wok or pan when making this. The napa cabbage leaves will initially take up a lot of space, but they will shrink as they cook.

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