For 2 weeks I have been craving these vegan fried noodles. It was my takeaway food when I was a student. It was cheap, fast, “healthier” than other fast-food meals and it was delicious. Besides that, I liked the way how chefs prepared it. How they worked with their woks was interesting to watch.

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Fried noodles are common throughout East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Many varieties, cooking styles, and ingredients exist. Last year I created my own vegan fried noodles recipe and I think it turned out perfectly. Don`t worry. We will not use unhealthy flavor enhancers like glutamate as most Asian restaurants do. Have you ever watched Asian chefs cooking and noticed that they add a “white powder” to the dish? This is glutamate and it is a flavor enhancer. It is unhealthy and you should not consume it.

What is Monosodium glutamate (MSG)?

MSG is a flavor enhancer that is often used in Chinese cuisine, canned veggies, soups, and processed meats.
MSG is designated as a “generally recognized as safe” food additive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), although its use is still debatable. As a result, the FDA requires that MSG be stated on the label when it is added to food.

For decades, MSG has been utilized as a food ingredient. The FDA has received several anecdotal reports of harmful responses to MSG-containing foods throughout the years. The symptoms are usually minor and do not necessitate medical attention.
Avoiding MSG-containing meals is the only method to avoid a response.

Let us start to prepare our vegan fried noodles.

Ingredients for vegan fried noodles

Vegetables: 1 red bell pepper( cut into strips),1 big carrot (cut into strips), 1 medium leek (cut into rings), 200 g white cabbage (cut into stripes), 100 g bean sprouts. Corn is optional.

Herbs: 1 teaspoon of salt,1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of paprika powder

250 g Chow Mein Noodles, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 stock cube (dissolved in 50 ml hot water)

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, drain them and set them aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large pan, add carrot, white cabbage, red bell pepper, and sauté for 10 minutes over medium-high heat.

Add leek and sauté for 2 minutes.

Place the vegetables onto a plate.

Transfer the noodles into the same pan you cooked the vegetables in, add salt, herbs, dissolved vegetable stock, and soy sauce. Mix well and cook them for 5 minutes.

Combine the vegetables with the noodles. Mix well. Your vegan fried noodles are ready to enjoy.