Transform packet ramen by topping it with stir fried vegetables in a glossy sauce! You can use whatever vegetables you want for this, just make sure you put them in the wok in order of length of time to cook, starting with the longest. Make it even healthier by using low sodium packet ramen. If you can manage the stir fry while you boil the noodles, you'll get this on the table in 10 minutes!
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until there are no cornflour lumps.
Bring water to boil and cook ramen per packet instructions, using the soup stock packet that comes with the ramen. (See Notes)
Heat oil in wok (or fry pan) over high heat. Add garlic and stir fry for 20 seconds until fragrant - be careful not to burn it.
Add carrots and mushrooms and stir fry for 30 seconds, then Chinese cabbage and stir fry for another 30 seconds.
Add sauce and cook for 30 seconds until it becomes thick and glossy.
Remove from heat, immediately add the bean sprouts and give a quick stir to coat the bean sprouts in the sauce and use the residual heat to slightly cook the bean sprouts.
Place noodles and soup in bowl, top with vegetables and garnish with shallots. Serve immediately.
Notes
1. My favourite instant ramen is Shin Ramyun which has quite a strong spicy soup flavour (which is why I like it). It does not have a fishy, seafood or meat flavour.2. You can use whatever vegetables you want. Around 2 1/2 cups, loosely packed, is a good quantity per packet of ramen and for the amount of sauce this recipe makes.3. Chinese cooking wine can be substituted with sake or sherry. If you don't have it, leave it out and instead of using 3 tbsp of water, use 3 tbsp of vegetable or chicken stock and you'll still get a good flavour.4. The sauce is not as salty as most stir fry sauces because the ramen soup stock has enough flavour so you only need a mild flavour for the topping.5. I always reduce the cooking time of the noodles by a minute or two because the residual heat continues to cook it while it's in the bowl and I find if I boil it for the full prescribed time per the packet, by the time I eat it, the noodles are a bit overcooked.6. Nutrition per serving.