Veggie-full Leftover Spicy Noodle Soup

Oh my, look who's back.

I've begun living on my own after ages, which has, naturally, sent my cooking quotient in a tizzy. For the first few days of the new life I lived on salads and quick chicken stir-fries, but then I finally buckled down and split open the rice noodles. (I'm a big fan of noodles.)

The thing is, the evening before, I had ordered something from a local Asian place that sounded delish but turned out to be rather odd. Called Koran grilled chicken, it promised to deliver succulent pieces of chicken grilled with a honey glaze. What arrived at my doorstep in a plastic bowl, however, was slices of roast chicken swimming in dark brown gravy, topped with bean sprouts. Hm.

Anyway, I dipped my bread in it and had my dinner like a good girl, but I saved most of the copious meat and some of the gravy (which wasn't bad, in its own way) for a much-improved dish later. This is that dish, vastly superior, and stuffed full of the two vegetables I had at home -- carrots and beans. (I also had a lot of spinach, laal shaak and some mushrooms, but I'm saving them for other things.)

 First, chop up the carrots and beans into tiny pieces.Then boil them till nearly done. With about two minutes to go, add the noodles. Then drain the lot.

 Simultaneously, in a tablespoon of oil, stir in chopped garlic, green chillies (optional, of course, but very highly recommended) and half an inch of ginger minced in a high-brimmed pan. When aromatic, add the leftover chicken hand-torn or chopped into small pieces, and some of the gravy. Toss on low, adding a little more oil if necessary. When well-tossed, add enough water to give it a thick, soupy consistency and let cook for a minute or so.

 

 Then drop in the just-drained noodles and veggies. Stir well. 

 Add the rest of the leftover gravy, plus a teaspoon of soya sauce, a little salt, and quite a bit of red chilli powder or paste (well, *I* did, anyway). Mix well. You may add a dash of vinegar if you like the tangy, sour flavour.

 

 Finally, when it's done, take it off the flame, add a handful of scallions, and fold in well so the scallions can cook in the heat but still remain crunchy. And just before spooning into plates or bowls, add roughly chopped bokchoy or local cabbage for that extra crunch :-)

Voila! You're fabulously delicious veggie-high spicy noodle soup is good to go!