Spicy Cold Noodles
Chewy Salad for Sticky Days.
bring a pan of water to the boil, and add the noodles. I like to use the thick rice noodles as they're satisfyingly chewy, but this dish works equally well with the thinner chinese wheat noodles (though if you're having this as a packed lunch, they can get a bit sticky during a day in the fridge). In an ideal world this is made with hand-pulled noodles (chewy and wheaty), but that's a lot of effort. Don't overcook them: you want them to still have some bounce. After draining them, rinse well with cold water, until they're cool.
slice the cucumber lengthways into very thin strips with a sharp knife. finely chop the coriander and spring onions, and mix with the noodles. dress with sesame oil, laoganma and light soy, and mix well. sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Makes a great packed lunch with a tea egg. Also good to add are steamed greens, aburaage, bean sprouts, or toasted peanuts.
Spicy Hot Noodles:
don't cool the noodles (duh), then add fried enokis steamed greens and a boiled egg in place of the cucumber. also great with some tofu puffs.