what will you need
To start, you need to collect all of your ingredients.
pasta — Wheat-based noodles like udon or egg noodles work best. I use Wyzen wheat noodles labeled Pan Fry Noodles. You can find them in vacuum sealed bags in the refrigerated section of any Asian store.
sesame oil — For a nutty aroma and shine. It also keeps the pasta from sticking together.
Mild soy sauce — The main umami and salty spice for this dish. If you have a bottle labeled All Purpose Soy Sauce or not labeled Light or Dark, it’s usually light soy sauce.
Dark soy sauce — A slightly sweeter soy sauce used primarily to darken the noodles.
sugar — I use granulated cane sugar to balance the two soy sauces.
vegetables — Use any vegetable of your choice. Some of my favorites for these soy noodles are chives, spring onions, bean sprouts, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, and pak choi. For this recipe, I use bean sprouts and garlic chives for a more traditional dish.
Yellow Onion — The most important aromatic here. Cut into large wedges. The large onion wedges tolerate high heat without burning. Bring out the flavor by sautéing in oil before adding anything else.
vegetable oil — This differs from sesame oil. Vegetable oil has a higher boiling point, which is needed for frying the flavorings.