Vegan Chinese Longevity Noodles – Yi Mein 伊面
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Make a bowl of these Longevity Noodles this Chinese New Year! A handful of ingredients and a simple sauce will allow you to make your homemade version of this amazing dish.
Whether you are celebrating Chinese New Year, you want to try something new, or you are simply craving for Chinese noodles, these vegan Longevity noodles are the perfect comfort food bowl to have.
Largely consumed as part of generous banquets all over China in celebration like indeed Lunar New Year, Birthdays, or Weddings, new babies etc.., Long Life Noodles (yī miàn, 伊面) or yi mein e noodles symbolize longevity and, as per Chinese tradition, must be served whole, unbroken, as a wish of an auspicious and prosperous beginning.
The unbroken length of the mian (noodle), in fact, is a sign of all good things to come for the person who is eating it, smoothly without any challenges. Furthermore the cook never serves the strands cut or severed, and the person eating should try to eat each strand in one full gulp.
To be honest with you I am not that skilled (yet) to avoid breaking the noodles while cooking, although many years of practice, so I apologise in advance for any Chinese person reading this that may find it not “authentic”.
What ingredients are needed for Longevity Noodles
First up, we are going to indeed need noodles. There is an actual type of noodles that are specifically for this recipe, which consists in long noodles that have been fried before drying. As a result of this process they have a spongy and rather chewy texture. The main downside is that they are made with eggs, secondly, if you don’t live in China, or near any Chinatown in the world, or have access to a well stocked Chinese supermarket, you ain’t gonna find them easily.
So, since any noodles that are LONG symbolize longevity, I encourage you to get your hand on any vegan friendly flat type made (ideally) with just wheat and water.
Secondly, we are going to need spring onions (aka scallions or green onions). The authentic recipe, however calls for Chinese chives, but once again, if you’re not close to a Chinese shop, you won’t be able to find them easily. While spring onions, not only are largely available in any supermarket, they are also a perfect substitute for the chives!
Shiitake mushrooms. If you can find fresh shiitakes it would be perfect, otherwise canned or dry ones (rehydrated) and/or a mix of porcini mushrooms and brown mushrooms (which have a more neutral flavour) will do.
Sauces. The original recipe calls for Dark Soy Sauce, Light Soy Sauce and Oyster Sauce. Obviously we are going to swap the fishy sauce with a vegan alternative that can be found in the shops with both the names of Vegan/Vegetarian Oyster Sauce or Mushroom Sauce. Just use the one you can find, and if you cannot find any or don’t want to purchase it you can replace it for light soy sauce or coconut aminos.
How to make Vegan Longevity Noodles
Ingredients:
180 g Noodles
6 Spring Onions
4-5 Shiitake
2-3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
½ tbsp Sesame Oil
White Pepper
…for the sauce…
1 ½ tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 ½ tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Vegan Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Hot Water
¼ tbsp Sugar
Method:
1. Make the sauce by dissolving sugar into hot water, then add dark & light soy sauce and vegan oyster sauce. Stir well and set aside.
2. Prepare the veggies. Remove the dirt from the shiitake with a slightly damp cloth, then slice them. Cut off 1 inch of the spring onions (the white part) and use for other recipes, or place in water for re-growth. Cut the remaining spring onions in half, then divide the bottom and the top (greener) part. Slice each piece in half, then in quarters lengthwise and set aside.
3. Heat up the wok, pour the vegetable oil so it coats the sides before reaching the bottom of the pan. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms and the bottom (whiter) part of the spring onions. Stir fry for 1 minute or until slightly brown. Note: if you don’t have a Chinese wok it will take more time on max heat.
4. Boil the noodles “al dente”, roughly 2-3 minutes before the cooking time on the packaging. Drain and rinse with cold water.
5. Add well drained noodles to the wok, stir fry for another 30 seconds then pour the sauce.
6. Stir fry for around 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Add the green part of the spring onions, sesame oil and white pepper. Give the noodles a thorough stir, and stir fry for another 20-30 seconds.
8. Enjoy the noodles straight away.
For other Asian inspired noodle recipes do not miss:
– Easy Chinese Style Take Away Noodles
– Reduced Carbs Vegan Chow Mein
– Thai Style Vegan Drunken Noodles
