Fried rice vermicelli with daikon & aged tangerine peel
Fragrant tangerine peel and sweet shredded daikon fried with rice vermicelli, egg ribbons and dried shrimp — colourful and mood-lifting.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi Stagnation brings low moods and a tight chest, and the shortening Equinox days can bring on the autumn blues. Tangerine peel and daikon move qi, and a colourful, fragrant plate of noodles eaten at a regular time helps lift the mood.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min- 1Soak the vermicelli in warm water for 10 minutes until soft, then drain. Soak the tangerine peel and dried shrimp separately; scrape the pith off the peel and shred it finely.
- 2Shred the daikon and carrot, toss with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes and squeeze out the water. Beat the eggs, fry into a thin omelette and cut into ribbons.
- 3Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok, fry the dried shrimp and peel until fragrant, then add the daikon and carrot and stir-fry for 2 minutes until soft.
- 4Add the vermicelli and soy sauce and toss with chopsticks to loosen, sprinkling in a little water if dry. Fry until the noodles are dry and smoky.
- 5Toss in the egg ribbons and spring onion, taste and serve.
Cautions
- Dried shrimp is shellfish — swap in shredded shiitake if allergic, and leave out the egg if eggs are a problem.
Chef's tips
- Ready in 25 minutes at home, and fine as a lunchbox: sprinkle 1 tbsp water over it before reheating so the noodles stay soft.
- Salting the daikon first draws out water, so it stays crisp and sweet instead of making the noodles soggy.
The TCM view
Aged tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm and moves qi and supports digestion; daikon is pungent, sweet and cool and sends qi downwards and aids digestion; dried shrimp is sweet and warm and egg sweet and neutral, nourishing without clogging; spring onion is pungent and warm. Fragrant, qi-moving flavours with gentle foods ease stagnation without drying.
