TTuesday marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Fire Horse, which represents new opportunities, personal growth and good luck. I, personally, am eager to get that horse in, and to celebrate I’m going to make this pasta salad, which is a variation on the one I first ate at Mandy Yin’s, Cheok sambal. It is a dish eaten throughout Malaysia and Singapore, and the idea is for everyone around the table to throw the salad high in the air at the same time: superstition says that the higher the salad is thrown, the greater the luck. Come on, Nelly.
Prosperity toss pasta salad
Dried soybean sticks (and pink sushi ginger) can be found in Chinese supermarkets or online. When soaked, they become like thin, chewy slices of tofu. This recipe is all in preparation: the only cooking is frying the bean and cashew sticks and boiling the pasta. You will need a large lipped bowl or plate (large enough to serve four people) and four pairs of chopsticks.
Preparatory school 15 minutes
He cooks 50 minutes
serves 4
120 grams of dried bean skin sticksDivided into 4 cm pieces
6 clementines2 peeled and cut into rounds, 4 juices, to get 8 tablespoons
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
8 tablespoons rapeseed oil
150 grams of dried wheat vermicelli
100 grams of roasted cashewsChopped
Fine sea salt
2 small red chocolates (275 grams), cut in half lengthwise and cut into thin slices
30 grams of fresh coriandercoarsely chopped
30 grams of mint bunch– The leaves are cut and chopped
30g pickled pink sushi gingerDrained and cut into thin slices
4 tablespoons crispy fried onions
Place the broken bean skin sticks in a heatproof bowl, pour over the boiling water, prick the beans until they are completely submerged, then let them soak for 30 minutes until tender. Slice one stick to make sure it’s cooked through and not crispy in the middle, then drain well.
To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together the clementine juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, two teaspoons toasted sesame oil and four tablespoons rapeseed oil.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again, then add 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil and set to one side.
Place the cashews in a cold frying pan, then place over medium heat and toast for about five minutes, stirring constantly, until well browned. Tip in a bowl.
Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil in the same pan, and when hot, add the drained bean skins, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Cook the mixture for five minutes until the beans begin to soften, then remove from the heat.
To assemble, place the noodles in the center of a lipped bowl, then arrange the chicory, herbs, bean skins, clementine slices and pickled ginger around the outside, then scatter over the cashews and crispy onions. Pour the dressing over the top, then encourage everyone to arm themselves with chopsticks and toss the salad together – and, if they wish, shout “Lo Hei!”
