Five Spice Noodle Stir Fry with Peanut Chilli Crunch

Five Spice Noodle Stir Fry with Peanut Chilli Crunch

This one is genuinely one of our favourites to make on a Friday night when we want something that feels a bit special but doesn't take forever. We're talking silky noodles, crispy five spice tofu, and the most addictive peanut chilli crunch you'll ever put on anything. The homemade five spice blend is a total game changer and once you've made it you'll want to put it on everything. Trust us, this is the kind of stir fry that'll have you scraping the wok clean.

Cook: 35 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Spice grinder
  • Large bowl for noodles
  • Large frying pan or wok

Ingredients

  • 1 star anise
  • 2 tsp - Szechuan Peppercorns
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2cm cinnamon stick
  • 50g roasted peanuts
  • 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp crispy shallots
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 lime
  • 250g rice noodles
  • 250g firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 150g tenderstem broccoli
  • 1 red pepper
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2cm fresh ginger
  • 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha

Method

1

Prep the ingredients

  • Dice the tofu
  • Roughly chop the tenderstem broccoli
  • Deseed and roughly chop the pepper
  • Peel and mince the garlic and ginger
  • Zest the lime and slice into wedges
2

Make the five spice

  • Place the star anise, szechuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick in the spice grinder and grind to a powder
  • Transfer to a bowl
3

Make the peanut crunch

  • Place the peanuts in the spice grinder and pulse to break up the peanuts, keeping them still chunky
  • Transfer to a bowl and stir through the shallots, sesame seeds, chilli flakes, salt and lime zest
4

Cook the noodles

  • Place the noodles in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to stand for 1 minute to soften (or following packet instructions). Drain the noodles, rinsing under cold water to stop them from sticking
5

Make the stir fry and serve

  • Place the tofu in a bowl with the cornflour and 1 tbsp of the five spice mix
  • Heat a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
  • Add the tofu, turning regularly until golden and crispy all over
  • Transfer the tofu to a plate and set aside
  • Return the pan to a medium heat with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
  • Add the broccoli, red pepper and bok choy, frying for 2 minutes until starting to soften
  • Add 1 tbsp of the remaining five spice mix with the garlic and ginger, frying for 1 minute until fragrant
  • Add the noodles and tofu back into the pan and pour in the soy sauce, sriracha, rice wine vinegar and toasted sesame oil, mixing to coat
  • Divide the noodles between bowls and top with the peanut crunch
  • Top with spring onion and serve with lime wedges

Tips & Variations

  • Make the crunch ahead: The peanut chilli crunch keeps really well in a jar for a week or so. We always make a double batch because it's incredible on basically everything, eggs, rice, noodles, you name it.
  • Don't overcrowd the pan: When you're frying the tofu, give it space. If you pile it all in at once it'll steam instead of crisp up, and crispy tofu is the whole point here.
  • Swap the protein: Ian loves this with tempeh instead of tofu if you want something with a bit more bite and a slightly nuttier flavour. Just dice and fry the same way.

Why This Works

The trick here is grinding your own five spice from whole spices. It takes two minutes but the flavour difference compared to a jar from the back of the cupboard is massive. The peanut chilli crunch on top adds this incredible contrast of heat, crunch, and richness that ties the whole thing together.