It wasn’t until I lived in China, where I first tasted Uyghur food, that I experienced how tomatoes can work in Chinese cuisine. The Islamic Uyghur population live mostly in Xinjiang, a large autonomous region situated in the northwest of China. Although its terrain is dry and mountainous, Xinjiang produces a lot of tomatoes, which is why it is a common ingredient in Uyghur cuisine. I can’t even remember what dish I ate, but I distinctly remember tomatoes paired with cumin and thinking it’s one of the best things I ever tasted. Drawing from the influences of Uyghur cuisine, I made this vegetable chow mein with tomatoes, green beans, and cumin. Tomatoes and green beans are in season right now, which makes the dish even more delightful. The vegetable chow mein is great for weeknights, as it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. You can serve this dish with pan-fried tofu, grilled shrimp, chicken, whatever suits your fancy.
CAN YOU MAKE THIS VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN GLUTEN FREE?
Yes! You can cook about 10 ounces of dried rice noodles, mung bean noodles, or Korean glass noodles (made from sweet potato starch). When it comes to stir fries, I prefer using mung bean or Korean glass noodles because they don’t break down quite as easily as rice noodles. You will also want to swap the soy sauce with tamari, which is gluten free.
CAN YOU COOK THIS WITH OTHER NOODLES?
Yes! Besides the noodles I mentioned above, you can also prepare the dish with about 10 ounces of dried egg noodles. Shirataki noodles work, too. I’d probably use 3 packages of the noodles for the recipe.
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