Tomato Beef Alkaline Noodle Soup

| By: Julietta Zhu |

Alkaline noodle (碱水面) is one of the most common noodles in Hong Kong and the Guangdong province. It is distinguishably recognized with a yellowish color and a chewy, elastic texture. During the pandemic, in my attempt to recreate those authentic canto tastes, I invented the following simple alternative recipe—the Tomato Beef Alkaline Noodle Soup—with ingredients you can find in every grocery store in the US.

Ingredients

Yield: 1 serving

Prep & cooking time: 30-35 minutes

• 100g Alkaline noodle (any type of noodle can work with the recipe)

• ½ tsp ginger (shredded)

• 20g shredded dry fish

• 1 carrot

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 2 tomatoes

• 30g beef

• 1 tsp tapioca flour

• 1 tbsp beer

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tsp sea salt

Cooking Instructions

1. Defrost a piece of beef (any type of beef can be used in this recipe) and slice it.

2. Marinate the beef slices with tapioca flour, salts, soy sauce, ginger, and a spoonful of beer. Let the beef sit for around 20 minutes.

3. While waiting for the beef to be ready, mince tomato, the carrot, and the shredded dry fish.

4. Slice the other tomato into larger chunks and set them aside.

5. Preheat a pot and put sesame oil in it.

6. Pan fry all of the minced ingredients until the tomato turns completely into liquid.

7. Add water and cover the pot.

8. When the water starts to boil, add large chunks of tomato, the noodle, an egg, and beef, one after another. The order matters as different ingredients require different lengths of time to cook. When the beef is ready, turn off the oven, and it’s ready.

Notes

• You can find alkaline noodles, dry shredded fish and tapioca flour in H Mart, but feel free to use any other noodles as alternatives.

• You can use any type of beef, such as steak and flank.

• The amount of beef you use is not strictly defined, and you can use however much you want to.

• The beer is a substitute for cooking wine and you can find Asian cooking wine in any Asian market.