Longevity noodles

To good health and longevity INGREDIENTS 300g dried longevity noodles 5 dried shiitake mushrooms 150g roast pork, sliced 100g yellow chives, sliced into 7cm lengths 3 dried scallops 80g dried prawns 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tsp light soya sauce 160ml water for soaking 80ml water 4 tbsp cooking oil

METHOD 1. Rinse the dried prawns and soak them in 80ml of water until they become soft. Reserve the soaking liquid and mince the dried prawns. 2. Rinse the dried scallop and soak in 80ml of water until softened. Reserve the soaking liquid. 3. Combine the soaking liquid and mix with the oyster sauce and light soya sauce. 4. Boil the noodles for three minutes and rinse under tap water. Set aside. (A) 5. Heat the oil. 6. Fry the garlic until fragrant, add the dried prawn. 7. Add the scallops. 8. Add the mushroom. 9. Add 80ml of water. 10. Add the yellow chives. 11. Add the roast pork. 12. Add the noodles. 13. Add the mixture of oyster sauce, light soya sauce and soaking liquid. 14. Stir-fry until noodles are almost dry. 15. Serve hot. hedykhoo@sph.com.sg

Tap on tradition and whip up your own meal for a meaningful birthday celebration.

You can have it simple, yet luxurious by adding dried scallops and high-quality dried shiitake mushroom.

Do not overcook the noodles during the boiling stage. Better still, get them slightly under-cooked so the end result after frying is a slightly chewy texture with bite.

I recommend using two pairs of long unvarnished bamboo chopsticks to toss the noodles when you stir-fry them.

The longevity noodles usually come in packets of 300g, and this should be enough for three or four persons.

Noodles traditionally symbolise long life, and the Chinese believe that one should not cut the noodles.

Longevity noodles are especially long, so you need some patience and effort in preparing them

This article was first published on April 19, 2015.
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