Easy Eats with Sam Parrish

Ever looked at that slab of fresh rice roll noodles at the supermarket and wondered how to turn them into something resembling the $30 takeaway your Uber Eats app keeps tempting you to order?

Well, look no further. With a splash of dark soy and a few pantry essentials, these white noodles are transformed into caramelised wonders in under five minutes. (Okay, maybe keep a few extra minutes up your sleeve for sourcing ingredients and doing some minimal chopping.)

This recipe is here to keep your taste buds—and your wallet—happy!

Serves: 2

prep: 5 cooking: 5

Difficulty: Zero – your biggest challenge will probably be sourcing the noodles, but they’re usually available at any good supermarket or Asian grocer – check the fridge section!

Ingredients 

For the stir-fry:

• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 green shallots (spring onions), white and pale green parts sliced; green parts cut into batons
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 4 eggs
• 450g fresh rice roll noodles
• A handful (or more) of spinach leaves and basil leaves (optional)
• Lemon wedges and sliced cucumber, to serve

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 2–3 tsp caster sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp chilli crisp oil, plus extra to serve
• ½ tsp each white pepper and garlic powder
• 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• ½ cup just-boiled water

Method

1. Make the sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Cook the aromatics: Heat the sesame oil and vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced white and pale green parts of the shallots and cook for about 30 seconds, until slightly softened. Add the sesame seeds and stir briefly.
3. Scramble the eggs: Crack the eggs directly into the pan. Let them sit undisturbed for about 20 seconds, then toss and stir to break them up into chunks.
4. Add the noodles: Add the rice roll noodles (they’ll fall out like a block but will soften and separate as they steam). Pour in the prepared sauce and let everything cook for 1 minute to steam and soften.
5. Combine and wilt: Stir the noodles for another minute to fully coat them in the sauce and break them up. Add the spinach leaves, basil (if using), and the green shallot batons. Toss until everything wilts slightly.
6. Final touches: Squeeze over fresh lemon juice, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
7. Serve: Plate the noodles with lemon wedges and sliced cucumber on the side. Add an extra drizzle of chilli crisp oil for more heat if desired