Author: story of a kitchen (hardly adapted from CHOW recipes - http://www.chow.com/recipes/30320-asian-peanut-noodles)
Recipe type: pasta
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
11 ounces dried soba (or other similar noodles -- I used soba)
3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
handful fresh cilantro, long stems removed
¾ cup natural peanut butter (no added sugar)
¼ cup soy sauce (or less -- see note below)*
3 tablespoons packed, peeled, and finely chopped fresh ginger (from about a 3-inch piece)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon chili oil
2 small scallions
½ medium English cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise (I used my lovely mandolin to slice)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the carrots and cook until just crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the carrots to a colander.
Add the noodles to the pot of boiling water and cook according to the package directions. While the noodles are cooking, transfer the carrots to a small bowl and set aside. Place the colander in the sink.
When the noodles are ready, drain them through the colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, and toss to coat; set aside.
Place the remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, cilantro, peanut butter, HALF the soy sauce, ginger, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chili oil in a blender. Blend until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula (if the mixture is too thick, add hot tap water 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached). Taste and decide if you need more soy sauce for saltiness.
Add the reserved carrots, scallions, and cucumber to the bowl with the noodles and pour the peanut sauce over top. Toss until well combined. Sprinkle with more scallions and garnish with cucumbers and carrots, if desired. Serve at room temperature or cold. I like the sauce just a little warm -- more of a comfort food for me when warm rather than cold.
Note when reheating: the sauce may thicken quite a bit once stored in the fridge. I suggest a few sprinkles of water before reheating. Also, the dish is best stored without the added vegetables, as they get a bit mushy in storage with the noodles.
Also, the sauce stored alone keeps for about 2 weeks refrigerated.
Notes
* VERY IMPORTANT: Different types and brands of soy sauce may have different levels of saltiness. For example, Japanese soy sauce is generally more salty tasting than Chinese-made. Be cautious. The original recipe calls for ¼ cup of soy sauce. I recommend using HALF of that -- ⅛ cup -- tasting the sauce after blended with the other ingredients, then deciding if you need more. If you over-salt the sauce, it's hard to salvage it. Better to under-salt and gradually add in enough to taste.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/pasta-recipes/peanut-noodles/