Ebi Chili Men

Full disclosure: I am not a connoisseur of Asian food. I don't even know if I pronounce the name of this dish correctly. It's from a recipe book I got primarily because I love the restaurant and one dish they make there (I'm sure I'd love others if I tried, but it's just so good I never try the others!). This wasn't even close to as good as the other recipe we like from the same cookbook, but it wasn't bad. I think the inconvenience of the amount of ingredients would also be a deterrent to us making it again soon. 

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• pinch of white pepper
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 12 raw peeled shrimp
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 green pepper, trimmed, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
• 1 1/4 cup chili sauce
• 9 oz soba noodles

Chili Sauce

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed, finely chopped
• 1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger root
• 1 chili, trimmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 red pepper, trimmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp store-bought sweet chili sauce
• 1 Tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 1/4 cups water

To make sauce: heat the vegetable oil in a small pan over a low heat until hot. Add the next eight ingredients and sauté for 7-8 minutes without coloring. Add the red pepper and continue cooking gently for 8-10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Blitz in a blender and use. 

Combine the egg, sesame oil, white pepper, and cornstarch in a bowl, whisk to form a smooth mixture, and gently stir in the shrimp. 

Heat a wok over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until completely hot and almost smoking and add the vegetable oil. Add the green pepper and carrot and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Add the shrimp, stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the chili sauce and bring to a  boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside while you cook the noodles. 

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Drain and divide between 2 plates. Top with the shrimp and sauce. 

Serves 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Total Time: 35 minutes

Recipe from Wagamama Cookbook