Welcome to our homes, Sambal Manis Noodles! Spicy-sweetish, vegan, and ready in 10 minutes-these are going to be your new favorite lazy-but-delicious weeknight dinner.
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Are you a tired human? A hungry human? A human who's just walked in the door after a long day and wants something deeply satisfying, homemade, and totally delicious right now?
I see you. You deserve this. And this recipe? It was made for you.
You might open your fridge and see nothing but a lonely cucumber.
Oh, but wait. In the back, behind the other stuff, is that a jar of sambal manis? YES. YES IT IS. And in that glorious moment, you remember this recipe. A recipe where you basically just mix a two-minute sauce with three ingredients, cook some speedy noodles, and chop half a cucumber.
In 10-15 minutes, you've got a meal that tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did. The noodles are fast, the sauce is even faster, and the most "work" you'll do is slicing that one cucumber. A little mixy-mix, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, aaaand … dinner is served.
This recipe was born out of a night with maximum hunger and zero cooking motivation. I found that little jar of sambal manis, grabbed some Tamari and sesame oil, and mixed up the simple sauce below. Swirled into quick noodles and cucumber bits - the first taste was PURE MAGIC. It was so perfect, so balanced. This is going to be your new go-to.
What is Sambal Manis?
The star of the recipe, that gorgeous little jar of sambal manis paste, what even is it?
A beautiful Indonesian chili paste mix of sweet and savory, that's what it is. The name literally means "chili paste" (sambal) and "sweet" (manis). You might be familiar with its more fiery relative, Sambal Oelek.
Sambal manis' flavor is more balanced while not shying away from a bit of heat. It's built on chili and sugar, but can contain more ingredients. To give you an idea, my store-bought sambal manis contains chili, paprika, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, and salt.
When you buy the sambal just make sure it's vegan. Check the label as some brands include shrimp paste.
Need to substitute the sambal manis?
Click the buttons below to ask AI how to alter the recipe for you.
Which Noodles to Use?
This sauce is simple but crazy delicious: a mix of sambal manis, Tamari (or soy sauce), and untoasted sesame oil. The gorgeous thing about it is that it gets along with just about any noodle you've got!
Seriously, you can't mess this up.
The only rule here is speed!
That's why I love using noodles that cook in 5 minutes or less. Japanese buckwheat noodles (soba) are what I often go for, but vegan mie noodles or even big, chewy udon noodles are absolutely fantastic too.
Honestly, just use whatever you have in the pantry!
🍽 Recipe
10 Minute Sambal Manis Noodles
Ingredients
- 500 g quick-cooking Asian noodles I used buckwheat noodles, but any speedy noodle works!
- ½ a large cucumber thinly sliced into sticks
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Optional: 1 chopped green onion for garnish
For the Sauce
- 4 tablespoons untoasted (virgin) sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce
- 1 heaping teaspoon sambal manis paste
Instructions
- Cook your noodles according to the package directions.
- While the noodles cook, thinly slice your cucumber into sticks.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients.
- Drain your noodles, rinse them quickly under cool water, and then toss them with the sauce, sliced cucumber, and sesame seeds.
- Optional: Sprinkle with chopped green onion.Not optional: Enjoy.
Variations For the Sambal Manis Noodles
These are a few ideas for a little extra oomph:
- Add a pressed garlic clove to the sauce.
- If you love heat, feel free to add another teaspoon of that sambal manis or toss in some finely chopped fresh chili.
- Add a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice for extra brightness.
Looking for the perfect pairing?
Simply click a button to ask AI for delicious ideas.
I'm always curious. How did it go? Tried these vegan sambal manis noodles? I wanna hear all about it. How did you serve it?
Drop the details below because we all love a fun twist or a lesson learned.
Wishing you planty of yummy delights,
Ramona
♥
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