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Vegetable pancit bihon
Pancit bihon guisado: thin rice noodles with cabbage, carrot, beans and tofu
No Filipino birthday is complete without a big tray of pancit, because long noodles stand for a long life; aunts arrive at the party carrying it in foil trays, and it sits on the table next to the cake. Pancit bihon uses thin rice vermicelli tossed with sautéed vegetables and a soy-seasoned stock until the noodles drink up every drop and turn light brown and glossy. This version is vegetarian, with fried tofu standing in for the usual chicken, shrimp and sausage, and vegetable stock in the pan. Squeeze calamansi (or lime) over each plate; the sharp citrus is what lifts it. Chef's tip: never cut the noodles before serving, for luck, and cook them in the stock rather than boiling them first.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (8)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 8 oz rice vermicelli (bihon) in cool water for 5–8 minutes, just until they bend without snapping. Drain well. Soaking them in hot water or for too long is the common mistake: they turn to mush in the pan.
8 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or very wide pan over a medium-high heat. Fry 5 ½ oz firm tofu until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes, then lift it out.
4 minStep 3: In the same oil, fry 4 cloves garlic and 1 onion for 1–2 minutes until the onion softens and the garlic smells sweet.
2 minStep 4: Add 1 carrot and 3 ½ oz green beans and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add 7 oz cabbage and toss for 1 minute more, until it just wilts but still looks bright. Tip half the vegetables onto a plate for the top.
3 minStep 5: Pour 2 cups vegetable stock and 3 tbsp soy sauce into the pan with the remaining vegetables and bring to a lively boil. Add the drained noodles and toss with tongs over a high heat for 3–4 minutes, until they have soaked up almost all the liquid and turned light brown. Season with ½ tsp ground black pepper.
4 minStep 6: Fold the tofu back through, pile the reserved vegetables and 2 spring onions on top and serve with 4 calamansi or lime to squeeze over.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetable pancit bihon take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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