Tsao Mi Fun (Taiwanese Fried Rice Noodles)

Description

My mom’s been making me tsao mi fun, in Mandarin, or tsa bi whun, in Taiwanese, since I was a little girl. Tsa bi whun literally translates to ‘fried rice noodles’. You’ll most likely find all the ingredients at your local supermarket except for the five spice powder, dried Chinese black mushrooms and rice vermicelli which can be found at your local Asian food mart. All the measurements here are pretty much to taste, some people like more pork, some less, some more soy sauce, some less, etc.

Ingredients

  • ½ pound thinly sliced pork loin
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup rice wine
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 4 dried Chinese black mushrooms
  • 1 (8 ounce) package dried rice vermicelli
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ¼ clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried small shrimp
  • 3 carrots, cut into matchstick strips
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 3 cups bean sprouts
  • 4 leaves napa cabbage, thinly sliced
  • salt to taste
  • 3 sprigs fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  1. Place the pork into a mixing bowl and pour in the soy sauce and rice wine. Sprinkle with the white pepper
  2. five-spice powder
  3. and cornstarch. Mix well
  4. then set aside to marinate. Soak the mushrooms in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes
  5. then pour off the water
  6. cut off and discard the stems of the mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms thinly and reserve. Soak the rice vermicelli in a separate bowl of cold water for 10 minutes
  7. then pour off the water and set the noodles aside.
  8. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Pour in the eggs
  9. and cook until firm
  10. flipping once
  11. to make a pancake. Remove the egg pancake
  12. and allow to cool
  13. then thinly slice and place into a large bowl. Heat 2 more tablespoons of the vegetable oil in the wok over high heat. Stir in the garlic and dried shrimp
  14. and cook until the shrimp become aromatic
  15. about 20 seconds. Next
  16. add the pork along with the marinade
  17. and cook until the pork is no longer pink
  18. about 4 minutes. Stir in the carrots and onion
  19. and cook until the carrots begin to soften
  20. about 3 minutes. Finally
  21. add the bean sprouts
  22. napa cabbage
  23. and sliced mushrooms; cook and stir until the vegetables are tender
  24. about 3 minutes more. Scrape the pork mixture into the bowl along with the eggs
  25. then wipe out the wok and return it to the stove over medium-high heat.
  26. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the wok
  27. then stir in the drained rice vermicelli noodles. Cook and stir for a few minutes until the noodles soften
  28. then stir in the reserved pork mixture. Scrape the mixture in to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro to serve.

Prep Time: 35 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Servings: 4

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