Food

Tiffy Chen shares her grandmother's Taiwanese stir-fry noodles recipe

Her new cookbook interweaves stories and recipes gathered through her travels.

February 27, 2024, 7:50 AM

Tiffy Chen, the internet sensation and food writer, is out with her debut cookbook, "Tiffy Cooks: 88 Easy Asian Recipes from My Family to Yours."

The new book will detail Chen's favorite recipes that can be made quickly, are for the entire family and span the Asian continent in theme.

Chen grew up in Taiwan, a nation rife with diverse cultures evidenced in the food and beyond. Chen draws on this background in sharing the tastes and smells of her home with the world.

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The new cookbook interweaves stories and recipes gathered through Chen's travels throughout Southeast Asia.

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The food blogger has garnered a massive audience online, amassing 3.2 million TikTok followers, where her audience enjoys videos detailing a variety of Asian recipes.

"Tiffy Cooks: 88 Easy Asian Recipes from My Family to Yours."
Crown Publishing Group

Chen joined "Good Morning America" on Tuesday to break down her grandma's Taiwanese stir-fry noodles recipe, Chao Mi Fen. Chen's take on stir-fry noodles offers a healthy and affordable option for stir-fry lovers craving a more efficient take on the classic dish.

Grandma's Taiwanese Stir-Fry Noodles, 炒米粉, Chao Mi Fen

Serves: 4

Ingredients

10 ounces/300 grams rice vermicelli noodles

1 teaspoon of olive oil

1 pound/450 grams white cabbage (1 large cabbage), sliced

1 cup Chinese celery cut in 2-inch lengths

1/2 cup thinly sliced peeled carrots

1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms

1/2 cup sliced fresh black fungus

1/4 cup light soy sauce

3 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 cups water, more if needed

1 tablespoon shallot oil

1 tablespoon fried shallots

Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

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Directions

1. In a medium bowl, soak the rice vermicelli in cold water to cover for five minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, Chinese celery, carrots, shiitake mushrooms and black fungus. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mushrooms start to sweat.

3. Add the light soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, white pepper and sugar. Stir well. Pour in the water and bring to a simmer. Add the noodles and, using chopsticks to prevent breaking the noodles, loosen the noodles. Mix to evenly coat the noodles with the sauce.

4. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. If the noodles are still firm, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the noodles are fully cooked. Uncover, drizzle in the shallot oil and add the fried shallots. Gently stir. Transfer to a large serving plate and garnish with the cilantro. Serve immediately.

Five takeaway tips:

1. Soak the noodles in COLD water for five minutes, this will help the noodles soften without getting soggy. This way, the noodles can soak up all the delicious sauces while still keeping the nice chewiness. Drain and set aside after.

2. You can really customize it with any vegetables or protein of your choice. I am making a vegetarian version today with celery, carrots, mushrooms, cabbage and black fungus. But you can also add in pork belly, shrimp, chicken or anything you like.

3. Use chopsticks to prevent the noodles from breaking. This will also help loosen the noodles, allowing every noodle to coat the sauce evenly. You are more "tossing" the noodles instead of mixing!

4. Reduce the heat to low and cover the noodles to allow them to soak up all the sauce. Every brand is a little bit different, so I like to start with less water, but if needed, you can add more water 1 tablespoon at a time.

5. PRO TIP: If you are using dried shiitake mushrooms, make sure to reserve the water used to rehydrate the mushrooms because it has a lot of flavor. You can use this stock instead of water.

Reprinted with permission from "Tiffy Cooks: 88 Easy Asian Recipes from My Family to Yours" by Tiffy Chen. Copyright © 2024 by Yin Chu Chen and Tokytiffy Consulting Ltd. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

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