Malaysian-Inspired Noodles with Lingham’s Chili Sauce

I was sent a bottle of Lingham’s chili sauce, in return for a blog post. As it happens, I was already a fan of Lingham’s, and I was more than happy to restock my cupboard in exchange for posting a recipe featuring the product. Lingham’s is the good stuff. Get the chili, garlic and ginger one if you can find it, it’s off the chain. This is a terrible disclaimer. Sorry about that. 

 

Alright, I’m already a Lingham’s fan. I didn’t have to be converted, and this wasn’t my first time tasting their chili sauce. However, there was plenty I didn’t know about the history of this particular chili sauce. The most surprising thing is that it was made in Malaysia – I hadn’t given *too* much thought to its origins, so finding out a bit of the history of the sauce, which dates back to 1908, was really interesting.

 

 

More interesting, though, was what I was going to do to showcase the sauce. Sure, I could do what I’ve always done and dip (read: drown) some dumplings in it, but I felt like I should branch out. I don’t have much experience with Malaysian food, so I turned to the blog Rasa Malaysia for inspiration. Before long, I had settled on a recipe I wanted to try, though of course I adapted it a little…

Malaysian-Inspired Noodles for two, based on the recipe from Rasa Malaysia for Mee Goreng.

For the sauce:

• 4 tbsp Lingham’s chili sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the noodles:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 generous teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 stick lemongrass
• 1 red chili, sliced (and seeded, if you like)
• 1 large chicken breast
• baby pak choi, tenderstem broccoli, mange tout and baby sweetcorn, or your own favourite stir fry veg
• 2 blocks dried noodles
• spring onion for garnish

 

First, prepare the sauce. Mix everything in a small bowl until combined, and check the taste. You can add more chili sauce or more sugar to taste. It might seem quite salty, but that’s OK – it’ll be covering a lot of ground later.

 

 

Prepare everything for the wok. Cut the chicken into small cubes, and slice or dice the veg into bite-sized pieces. Chop the garlic and ginger finely, and slice the chili into rings. Peel the tough outer layer from the lemongrass and cut into a few pieces.

 

Put the kettle on to boil, for your noodles.

 

Heat the oil in the wok, and add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chili. Toss them in the oil until the garlic begins to brown and everything is fragrant, then add the chicken and vegetables.

 

Put the noodles over a high heat to boil.

 

Cook the chicken and veg for three minutes, until the noodles are done. Drain the noodles and add them to the wok. Mix well.

 

 

Once suitably mixed, pour in all the sauce. Mix again until all the noodles are coated, and cook for a further five minutes, or until everything is cooked through (especially the chicken).

 

Serve, garnished with chopped spring onions and additional chili sauce, as required. Watch out for lemongrass bits.

 

 

Lingham’s is a tangy, vinegar-based sauce with a medium kick. This recipe calls for a lot of it, and while it’s spicy I still found room to add a little more. It doesn’t have the searing heat of other sauces, like sriracha, so it’s ideal for a dipping sauce or a garnish. This was the first time I’ve cooked with it, and it’s a great addition to a stir fry. I also happen to know it’s great with eggs –  a nice coriander omelette perched on top of this bowl of noodles would be a great addition. However you use it, don’t forget: you have to do the Lingham’s Shake, side to side, to mix it all up perfectly before you pop the cap.

 

Isn’t that a better way to say ‘shake well before opening?’. I think so.