Soba Noodles Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry

Visible from my past posts,I'm experimenting a lot with Tofu these days in other words I'm going tofu crazy.This time I was thinking tofu with noodles.Every once in a while I crave for Chinese-style noodles with tons of crunchy vegetables,sprouts and piquant sauces.So in my quest for a recipe with tofu and crave for noodles,I stumbled upon this palatable Korean Noodle Fry from Susan's Fat Free vegan Kitchen ,the blog also happens to be Tried and tasted pick of the month,the host is Vaishali of Holy cow!.

With protein rich Soba noodles ,added protein from tofu and loads of vitamins from the veggies,this dish was truly sinlessly delicious.I marinated the tofu ,to soak up its blandness with flavor.This also the first time I used Soba\buckwheat noodles it has very mild flavor almost like wheat.

Stir-Fry
Stir fry is technique of quick cooking the vegetable on high heat to retain it crisp texture and flavor.Using a stir fry mix can save lot of time with chopping besides all the variety of vegetables.A wok is typically used for stir frying but a deep pan should also work.And Olive oil which I usually use for my cooking doesn't work for this recipe due to high heat cooking, use a high smoking point oil like peanut, safflower, corn, or canola.

Recipe
Ingredients
6 ounces buckwheat Soba Noodles(about 2 bundles)
4 ounces Extra firm tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
2 cups bok-choy(or cabbage),chopped
3 cups vegetables(I used stir-fry mix including mushrooms,peppers,zucchini,carrots,broccoli,baby corn,snap peas and chestnuts)
1 cup Sprouts(mung,alfa-alfa or any kind)
1 big clove garlic,finely chopped or minced
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons gochujang(or use any East Asian hot chili sauce)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric(optional)
1 tablespoon Peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
Marinate Tofu
For a flavorful tofu marinate it in 1/2 each teaspoon of hot sauce and soy sauce,pinch of salt and turmeric for about an hour.
Cook the Noodles
Boil water in a big pot of salted water ,cook the noodles as per the package instructions and drain.
Cook the Vegetables and Tofu Separately
In meantime heat a wok or a deep pan with teaspoon of oil on medium heat add the marinate pieces of tofu,let cook for 4-5 minutes,turn once and set aside.Add another teaspoon of oil turn the heat to medium-high add the garlic and vegetables ,stir often and cook for few minutes until most of the water is cooked about 7-8 minutes,add the hot sauce and soy sauce ,stir and cook another minute or two.

Toss Up
When the vegetables are done,mix in the cooked noodles then lastly mix in the tofu and sprouts.Serve warm with a drizzle of mild hot chili sauce if desired.

Veggie Sprouts Noodles

Mung sprouts were my mom's healthy snack munchies.She is very picky about her eating habits and these days she prefers all vegetarian meals.I remember how regular she was in growing these sprouts ,the method below is her easy method of growing the sprouts.

To grow Green Mung Sprouts
Wrap soaked Whole green Mung lentil in a wet kitchen towel and place in a warm dark corner. Sprinkle some water on the towel everyday,rinse in cold water twice every day(a must to prevent contamination).The lentils sprout beautifully in 3-4 days depending on the moisture and warmth. Rinse them in cold water and use in salads or noodles or just for munching. sprouts are low in calories and fat and provide substantial amounts of key nutrients, such as vitamin A ,C and E, folate ,Iron,Potassium and fiber.


Veggie Sprouts Noodles
The crunchy sprouts in noodles with copious serving of vegetables is a fulfilling meal.
Ingredients
1 pack Chinese Hakka noodles
3 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO)
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic grated
1 inch ginger grated
1 small onion sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup Button mushrooms sliced
3 spring onions sliced
2 cups fresh whole green Moong lentil sprouts
2 green chilly finely chopped

Method
Boil water in a big pot and cook the noodles as per the package instructions. When noodles are soft drain all the water and keep aside.
Meanwhile heat EVOO in a large pan and add the sliced onions,ginger and garlic grated. saute for few seconds and add the broccoli,chopped chillies and mushrooms. saute for a minute then add the soy sauce. season with salt and toss around the vegetables ,when dry add some broth. Add the sprouts when the vegetables are tender.cook for another minute before mixing the cooked noodles. Garnish with sliced spring onions. Serve Hot with hot sauce.


Veggie Sprouts Noodles are my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging,now managed by Haalo of Cooking (Almost) Everything At Least Once and hosted this week by Siri of Siri's Corner