Daizu moyashi yakisoba / fried noodles with soybean sprouts

Soybean sprouts stay relatively crispy, making this yakisoba dish look and feel much bigger than it really is. Crunchy soybeans are an additional plus for the overall texture.

<Ingredients>

2 yakisoba noodles and 2 packs of seasoning (from 3-serving package)
150 g daizu moyashi soybean sprouts
3-4 leaves cabbage
1/2 carrot
4-5 nira chives
Salt & pepper, to taste (not in photo)
1 tbsp oil (for stir-frying; not in photo)


<Directions>
1.

Remove skinny roots and damaged parts (discolored or translucent/soft parts) of daizu moyashi as necessary.
Peel and slice carrot 5mm thick.
Cut nira 3-4 cm.
Cut cabbage in 3-4 cm squares. Set aside firm, white parts of cabbage (in front of carrot in photo).

2.

In a frying pan, heat oil, and saute carrot on medium low to medium heat.

Flip, and add firm, white sections of cabbage.

3.

Meanwhile, pour hot water over noodles to loosen them and get rid of oil on surface.
Fluff.

4.

When cabbage starts to be somewhat translucent, add daizu moyashi, and stir.

5.

When daizu moyashi is somewhat tender -- to the degree it bends slightly when lifted -- add remaining cabbage, and continue stir-frying.

6.

When all cabbage turns translucent, add nira, and stir.

Salt and pepper, and stir. 

7.

Add noodles, and mix.

If noodles are stiff, add some water, and stir.

8.

Add seasoning, and mix well.

Ready to serve.

<Notes>

• Daizu moyashi soybeans take some time before they become somewhat tender. The moyashi part of daizu moyashi also takes longer than mung bean moyashi to become tender, thus it is added to the frying pan early on. (If using mung bean moyashi, it would be added immediately before noodles. See yasai yakisoba, shoyu-aji / fried noodles with vegetables, soy sauce flavor.)
• If using dried noodles, boil them first according to instructions on package.
• If you need to prepare seasoning, mix 3 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp oyster sauce (and 1 tbsp mirin, if sweeter, richer flavor is desired).
• This yakisoba tastes better with fewer ingredients. Keep them basic. For example, mushrooms tend to make the flavor too complex, somewhat overshadowing the taste of daizu moyashi.