Fried Egg Noodles with Turkey

 

 

 

Talking about fried noodles, the only thing that comes to my mind is the tiffin box my mother used to fill with noodles while I went to school. My mother cooked noodle with such perfection bringing out a mouthwatering taste that before even I could eat my portion, my friends would share it wholly among each other leaving almost next to nothing for me. While they gorged on my noodles hungrily, I hopelessly munched on their food to fill my tummy. Later on, whenever my mother used to send noodles for my tiffin, she without fail would put two boxes in my school bag, one for me and the other for my friends.

I still love noodles very very much and I am yet to meet anyone who doesn't. My usual way of cooking noodles involves chicken, prawn among the essential items as might be noted in the recipe of Chicken Prawn Stir Fried Noodles with Vegetables and Mushroom, but this time going out of my usual norm, I cooked noodles with shredded turkey and dried shrimps. If in case you don't like dried shrimps, you may substitute it with fresh ones. Dried shrimps in Bengali are called "chingri shutki" and I know many people in Kolkata turning up nose at the very mention of 'shutkis' as if we Bangals, people originating from East Bengal, culture a habit of eating poison. But trust me, if you can bear with the overwhelming stinky smell during cooking, you may concoct some very fine dishes with shutki and they taste awesome when incorporated in curries.

Ingredients:                                                          Cooking time: 30-40 minutes ü  200 gm egg noodles ü  1 turkey breast (boiled and shredded) ü  1 cup of cabbage (julienned) ü  2 carrots (cut into matchstick strips) ü  1 cup of bean sprouts ü  2 stalks of spring onion (chopped) ü  2 tbsp dried small shrimp ü  5-6 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) ü  Salt to taste ü  White oil for cooking For seasoning: ü  1 tsp Chinese five spice powder ü  4 tbsp light soya sauce ü  4-5 tbsp water ü  1 tbsp dark soya sauce ü  1 tbsp sugar ü  1 tbsp white pepper (freshly ground) Method: 1) Cook the noodles in microwave for 7 minutes or on stove top till noodles are soft. Drain the water. (Be careful because overcooking might lead to noodles turning soggy.) 2) Heat oil in a wok. When oil turns hot, add garlic and brown a bit before tossing the dried shrimps in. Fry till shrimps turn crispy. 3) Add carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts and spring onion, one after another. Shallow fry and cook covered on low heat till veggies are tender. 4) Meanwhile, mix salt into the noodles. When veggies are tender, toss the noodles into the wok. Stir a while.  5) Mix all the ingredients for seasoning and pour into noodles. Mix well and cook on low heat till noodles are not wet anymore. 6) Serve hot.