Almost Instant Noodles.

Salads and sandwiches aside, this is probably the easiest and tastiest dinners i've ever made.

I have to admit that the thoughts of adding both tomato and chili sauce didn't quite appeal to me. I mean, you either like tomato sauce or chili sauce. Maybe i'm just bias because i hate tomatoes with a passion; the only things i make an exception for are tomato paste and salsa. Tomato sauce is..just okay. I don't particularly like it but i don't hate it either. So now that we're on the same page about where i stand when tomatoes and/or tomato sauce are concerned (and how incredibly spolit i am), you've to have an inkling of how good this dish was if it contained tomato sauce and i'm raving about it.


The addition of both sauces, with both delighting such different tastes of the palate, resulted in a really unusual flavour that tastes nothing really like either sauce. It has such a unique taste that isn't particularly sweet, sour, salty, and it definitely isn't bitter, but really is quite pleasing to the palate.

I know, i know. I'm being incredibly vague but i really can't find any adjectives to do this sauce justice. I suspect part of the reason is because we go to this place in Melbourne, Pacific House, all the time for their duck, one of the best i've ever tasted, and chili crab noodles, definitely the best and this tastes a lot like the sauce in crab noodles. So i'm at a loss for words as to how to describe it because every spoonful i take, all my taste buds tells my brain is "crab noodles sauce". So much help that is.

Despite my best efforts to describe this really drool worthy sauce, it really isn't quite coming along so as one last attempt, i will say that this definitely won't be the last time i'll be making this dish :)

Chili Tomato Noodles [adapted from Australian Table's June '07 issue]


Ingredients
450g packet fresh egg noodles (or any kind you prefer, really)
2 tbsp oil
300g packet firm marinated tofu, cut into small cubes
300g prawns, shelled, deveined and chopped into bite size
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1/2 bulb of garlic, finely chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1 large potato, cut into small cubes and boiled till tender
2 eggs, lightly beaten
A handful of dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water till tender and sliced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
4 tbsp chili sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce

1. Prepare noodles according to directions on packet. Drain and set aside.
2. Add oil to a large frying pan. Stir fry onion and garlic for a couple of minutes till onions are soft. Add prawns and cook till prawns turn pink. Add potato, mushrooms, green onions and tofu. Stir fry for about 2 minutes.
3. Push vegetables aside and add eggs. Allow to set slightly before stirring up vegetables. Add sauces and noodles. Stir fry for a couple more minutes till well coated and heated through. Serves 6