This is a very typical stir fried noodle dish that I have as a midweek meal. One that doesn’t require specific ingredients – just use whatever you have. Use fresh or dried noodles, whatever vegetables are lying around. And Charlie, my All Purpose Chinese Stir Fry Sauce. He’s a midweek lifesaver. And Super Food Ideas magazine agrees!!
Beef Hokkien Noodles
Charlie is the name I have given to my All Purpose Chinese Stir Fry Sauce. That’s how fond I am of him – I’ve named him. Charlie – as in Charlie Brown. Everybody say boo, how unoriginal!! 😉
You might laugh that I’ve named him but you won’t laugh if you try him. He’s becoming FAMOUS!!! He’s now not only one of the all time most popular recipes here on RecipeTin Eats, he’s got an entire six page spread in Super Food Ideas Magazine!
I know Charlie isn’t beautiful. He’s a rather unassuming brown sauce, he looks rather unappetising actually, especially when he’s been in the fridge for a few weeks and he’s separated into layers.
Unattractive he may be. But he’s packed with super powers because of his versatility, convenience and how darn delicious he is, even if you do nothing but add water to him in a stir fry.
Who would have ever thought that a plain brown sauce would be sitting in the fridge of hundreds and thousands, if not millions, of households around the world?
And now, he’s in SUPER FOOD IDEAS magazine!!! Five brand new recipes created using Charlie that I made especially and exclusively for the March issue of Super Food Ideas which just hit the stands!
I think you’ll be pretty amazed at the range of dishes that can be made using Charlie. Stir fries and noodles are the obvious ones. But he can also be used as:
A sauce – like in the Pan Fried Chinese Fish recipe (middle right above) and the saucy prawn stir fry on crispy noodles (3rd from the right);
For a speedy fried rice – I made a Speedy Pork Fried rice for the magazine (far right); and
Soup! Pictured above is a Chinese Chicken & Corn Soup I made using Charlie (2nd from the right).
I was really, really torn about which recipe to share. I decided to go with the Spicy Hokkien Noodles because it’s a staple in my midweek meal repertoire. I very rarely follow this recipe exactly, I substitute the beef for whatever proteins I have – or even go meat free – and use whatever vegetables I have. Literally – anything. I even used fennel once. It was darn tasty actually!
I love stir fried noodles because it’s a complete meal made in one pot (or skillet!) – no need to make a separate side of rice. My favourites that are in heavy rotation include Chicken Rice Noodles, Chicken Vegetable Ramen Noodles, Pad See Ew, Beef Broccoli Noodles and Chow Mein.
This recipe makes enough for 4 people so I use the method of cooking the ingredient in batches, then bringing it all together at the end. The reason I do this is because otherwise the wok gets too full and the vegetables and beef will stew rather than be crisp and just cooked which is how they should be for stir fries.
As with all stir fries, once you start cooking it all comes together very quickly so have everything chopped and ready to go. Are you ready for a quick dinner? Make up some Charlie to have on standby, then you’re just 20 minutes away from this! – Nagi x
Option: Tenderising beef for stir fries
Ever notice how the meat in Chinese dishes is so incredibly tender, and how your stir fries at home are just never the same? The secret is tenderising the meat – a method called velveting.
That’s right. Your cheerful local Chinese restaurant is using economical stewing beef to make stir fries with ultra tender strips of beef by tenderising it!
Find out how to use this simple, highly effective method: How to Tenderise Beef (the Chinese way).
This is optional only, when wanting to make stir fries with economical beef or you simply want extra tender beef, Chinese restaurant style!
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Spicy Beef Hokkien Noodles
Ingredients
Beef
- 13oz / 400g beef rump steak , trimmed, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Homemade Chinese Stir-fry Sauce (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
Stir Fry
- 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
- 2 garlic cloves , crushed
- 1 small onion (brown, white or yellow)
- 1 red capsicum/bell pepper , sliced
- 1/3 cup Homemade Chinese Stir-fry Sauce (Note 1)
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp chilli paste , hot sauce, sriracha (to taste) OR finely chopped chilli
- 3 scallions/shallots , cut into 3cm lengths
- 7oz / 200g snow peas , trimmed
- 15oz / 450g fresh hokkien noodles
To Garnish (optional)
- Sliced red chilli , sliced scallions/shallots and toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix beef and 2 tbsp Stir-fry Sauce in a glass or ceramic bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes to marinate.
- Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a large wok over high heat. Cook beef for 1 1/2 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a bowl.
- Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil. Add garlic and onion, cook for 30 seconds. Add capsicum and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to the bowl with the beef.
- Add 1/3 cup Homemade Chinese Stir-fry Sauce, water and chili paste. Cook for 30 seconds or until sauce starts to thicken. Add green onion and snow peas, cook for 30 seconds.
- Return beef and capsicum mixture to the wok, add noodles and stir fry for 1 minute 30 seconds, tossing to coat everything in the sauce.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chili, sliced scallions/shallots and sesame seeds if desired.
Recipe Notes:
3 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose, I use Kikkoman)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
½ tsp sesame oil (optional)
Dash of black pepper
Yay Charlie!!! Yet another Charlie for me to love 🙂 Congrats on the spread honey! Well deserved! And this stirfry looks amazing darling!!! Your flavors are always spot on so I know it’s going to be quite the flavor punch! I could have these noodles ALL DAY LONG!
Thank you doll!!! can’t wait to hang out again soon!!! Am planning to be back in the US in May…. 😉
Hi Nagi!
Me again. I got the December issue of Super Food but it seems I missed was it the January one? Hoping to get the current issue March you say? hmmm. Will have to look out for this…any chance of a repeat of the Jan recipes? Best of luck and continued success.
Hi Dee!! YUP! The March issue is available right now!! I am going to chat to Super Food Ideas to see if I can share some of the Feb recipes here on RTE 😉 N x
Having just moved into the new house in Melbourne – and therefore cooking on a budget while starting uni again, this sort of fast meal is exactly what I need right now. Seriously like you read my mind Nagi! The best part is that I actually have all the ingredients for Charlie (love the name, by the way) in the cupboard already – which makes this even more perfect. Can’t wait to try it out! x
WOO HOO!! Perfect for uni students! 😉
I’ve been looking to inviting Charlie back into my fridge again, so this will be the perfect excuse!
Sitting on a bus going to Day 4 of my return to work, and I really really want a huge bowl of these noodles right now. You Italian Sausage & Beef Ragu is sitting in my bag, waiting to be devoured at lunch time!
Charlie WANTS to get back in your fridge 😉 Oooh, you must have the BEST work lunches ever!!! 🙂
This was last night’s dinner. “Yum yum yum yum yum.” “I want more.” “Mmmm, this is so nice.” “Oooooh, I really like this.” These were just some of the comments we muttered through mouthfuls of our delicious delicious dinner. The silky sauce had just the right amount of everything, with the heat from the chilli sauce presenting a pleasant and pleasurable hum. The beef was so full of flavour and so tender, and the crunchy veggies so sweet and fresh. Oh, yes, I’m definitely making this one again!
I made very minor changes: subbed out onions and shallots, and subbed in celery and Chinese chives. And I may have added a handful more snow peas too. I used 1 tablespoon of Sambal Oelak and 1/2 tablespoon Sriracha sauce, which gave the dish just the right amount of spice. YUM!!!
Welcome back into my fridge, Charlie!
YEE HAA!!!! So glad you enjoyed it Gloria!!! How is work? Settled back in ok?? N x
We are definitely having this on a fortnightly basis. I even pre-prepped the beef by slicing it thinly and putting the meat in a zip lock with some Charlie and putting the lot into the freezer. So so good.
Work is OK. It’s so busy and everyone is so busy; the days fly by and I’m grateful for my flexible and accommodating working hours. The family has settled into a routine and we all seem to be coping with it. I won’t go so far as to say we are thriving yet, but time will tell if we are sinking or swimming. For now, we seem to be swimming. Weekends are so precious now, but still have plenty of chores to do – 3 loads of laundry (minimum) on Saturday mornings, then grocery shopping, and Sunday afternoons are all about prepping the dinners for the week (pre-marinade meats, packaging and bundling all the bits and pieces that go with all the different meals on my menu plan). Charlie is going to come in handy as I will be using him every week for at least one meal!
That’s what I do!!! Re: freezing beef 🙂 I even chop up veggies and put them into ziplock bags! I’m glad you’ve settled into a routine. And YES weekends are precious!! I really should put together something for pre-preparing meals on Sundays, just like you do. That’s what I used to do when I worked in the city! By the way, I happen to be making a Charlie book. Because he’s so good for so many things, not just stir fries. Soups, sauce for pan fried meats, fried rice as well as all the usual stir fries!! I might have to get you an advance copy!! 🙂
Would love if you did a tutorial on all the different noodles you use. This recipe looks amazing.
Thanks for the idea Judith! I’ll put it on the list of things to cover when I do my resources section!! 🙂
This looks like such an amazing, hearty dinner! Perfect for those cold, winter nights! Anything with noodles and beef is right up my alley! Thanks for sharing! 😀
I know, right?? NOODLES. I love them!
Glad you reminded us about Charlie – I forgot about it but really want to make some up to have in the fridge! Great idea for quick but yummy dinner on busy days!!
Thanks Barb!! I think Charlie wants to be in your fridge too…. 😉
Yum! This sounds like lunch!
WHAT a lunch!!! <3
Hi Nagi! Here I sit at 9:00 am wishing I had a bowl of this NOW! I love every component of this, especially Charlie! It is cold here (as in below 20 degrees!) and this would definitely warm and comfort at the same time. What a fantastic magazine spread! 🙂
Thanks so much Dorothy!!! Secret….I DID have this for breakfast this morning. Seriously. 🙂