Thai Curried Rice Noodles With Dried Shiitake Mushrooms And Spinach

Making noodles tossed in a wok isn’t that different from making stir-fried rice. I especially love the addition of the omelet “pancake” cut into thin strips, which resemble the noodles. Look for yellow or red Thai curry paste, which has a vibrant, fruity taste. The heat level fluctuates among the many different brands out there, so taste and adjust the amount as you make the stir-fry sauce for the noodles. You won’t need an authentic wok to prepare this recipe. I use my wok-skillet, which I find easy to handle, but any large, heavy skillet will work as well.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ingredients

• 4 large dried shiitake mushrooms
• 8 ounces thin (about 1/8 inch wide) dried or fresh rice noodles
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth, plus
• 2 teaspoons water
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sherry
• 1 to 3 tablespoons yellow or red curry paste, to taste
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion (white and green parts), cut on the diagonal
• 1 tablespoon julienned peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon grated garlic
• 3 ounces baby spinach, rinsed and dried

Directions

1. Place the mushrooms in a small bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak until pliable, about 20 minutes. Drain. Cut out and discard the stems. Cut the caps into thin slices and place in the small bowl, add boiling water to cover, and soak for 20 minutes longer. Drain and reserve.

2. Prepare the noodles following the package instructions, soaking or boiling, as directed, until pliable. Drain well and toss with the sesame oil.

3. Beat the egg with the 2 teaspoons water and 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce. Heat the skillet or wok over high heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Add about 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil and swirl the pan to coat. Add the egg mixture and cook, without stirring, but tilting the pan and lifting the edges of the egg as it sets so the raw center can flow under the set egg, about 1 minute. Carefully slide the egg from the skillet onto a small plate and let stand until cooled.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1⁄2 cup water, the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, the Chinese rice wine, and 1 tablespoon of the curry paste until blended. Taste and add more curry paste, if desired, until just slightly above your preferred heat level. (The noodles will temper the heat of the sauce in the finished dish.)

5. Reheat the skillet until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and heat until hot enough to sizzle a piece of scallion. Add the scallions, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry for about 20 seconds. Add the curry paste mixture and bring to a boil.

6. Drain the reserved mushrooms. Add the noodles, mushrooms, and spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring with chopsticks or tongs, until all the liquid is evenly absorbed and the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Cut the egg into strips and strew over the top. Pass the soy sauce to sprinkle on each serving as needed.

Excerpted from WHOLE WORLD VEGETARIAN, © 2016 by Marie Simmons. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.