Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for chilli crisp topped noodles with tofu and cabbage | Quick and easy
I make variations of stir-fried mushrooms and tofu with noodles (or rice) all the time, but this one, topped with a homemade peanut chilli crisp oil, has gone straight to the top of my repertoire.And the chilli oil couldn’t be easier to make, plus there’s enough to stash in the fridge for the week to come – spoon over eggy crumpets, fried rice or cheese on toast.Prep 20 min Cook 15 min Serves 2-32 tbsp sesame oil5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced150g shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped280g firm tofu (I like Tofoo), cut into 1cm cubes15ml soy sauce½ sweetheart cabbage, roughly chopped 200g straight-to-wok udon noodles Sea salt, to tasteFor the chilli crisp oil50ml neutral oil – I use mild olive oil5g chilli flakes 50g salted peanuts, left wholePut a large frying pan or wok on a medium heat, then add one tablespoon of the sesame oil.Stir-fry the ginger, garlic and spring onions for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms and fry, stirring, for two minutes more.Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then stir in the tofu and fry for two minutes on each side.
Add the soy sauce and 20ml water, then scatter in the chopped cabbage.Cover the pan, lower the heat, and let the cabbage steam for three minutes.Meanwhile, make the chilli crisp oil.Put the oil in a small saucepan on a low heat for two minutes – it needs to be hot without being burningly so; if it’s shimmering or smoking, it’s too hot, so let it cool a little, if necessary.Add the chilli flakes and peanuts to the hot oil – they should sizzle without burning – then take off the heat.
Add the noodles to the cabbage pan and stir-fry for two minutes, or according to the packet instructions.Taste and adjust the salt as needed, then serve the noodles hot and topped with a teaspoon of chilli oil.Be warned, it is very hot, so have a taste before adding more.The remaining chilli oil will keep for a week in an airtight jar in the fridge.
Ben Stokes hits back at England ‘has-beens’ over criticism of Ashes preparations
Ben Stokes has warned England’s players to be wary of an Australian media desperate to pounce on any indiscretion or hint of scandal, saying the Ashes tourists have already been the subject of some “unbelievable journalism” and that such treatment is “part of being in Australia … it’s not just stuff out on the field that can get you, it’s also the off-field stuff.”The England captain’s disgruntlement with his side’s treatment in the press extends to recent criticism of their preparations, with Stokes hitting out at the “has beens” who have been leading the chorus of complaint and insisting that “we leave no stone unturned” and “have prepared incredibly well”.Stokes’s arrival in Perth last week prompted the West Australian to launch an attack on “England’s cocky captain complainer” over a front-page photograph of the 34-year-old pushing his bags through the airport, while Joe Root was subjected to similar treatment on Monday.“I was a bit gutted when they turned their attention to Rooty because I was waiting to see what the next headline about me was,” Stokes said. “But it’s expected
Trump pardons trail runner convicted after taking shortcut during record run
Donald Trump has pardoned a trail runner who briefly took a closed trail on his way to a record time on the tallest peak in the Teton Range of western Wyoming.The pardon for Michelino Sunseri, unlike recent ones for Trump allies, appeared apolitical.“Michelino is pleased, of course, but nobody expects a pardon,” Sunseri’s attorney, Michael Poon, told Outside. “He shouldn’t have had to go through this ordeal to begin with. It’s not a case that should have ever been brought to trial
Ollie Pope poised to stay at No 3 as England focus on continuity for Ashes
England may stand accused of not taking their Ashes preparations seriously but with only three days against the Lions to hone their players’ cutting edge they have promised to approach the solitary game of their pared‑down warm-up with as much intensity as they can muster.The assistant coach Marcus Trescothick said the focus would be on making the game “as competitive as we can”, as they prepare to effectively unveil their first-choice Ashes XI.While every member of the Ashes squad will be involved in the match, with some turning out for the Lions against their own teammates, the England side is expected to be at full strength. Every player trained in an intensive session on Tuesday – Ben Stokes doing one session in the nets against spin, one against seam, and another bowling – with no fitness issues reported.This means that while the debate about England’s preparation will rumble on, the one over the identity of their first-choice No 3 may soon be settled, with Trescothick strongly hinting that Ollie Pope has seen off the challenge of Jacob Bethell to keep his place, where he has batted in 32 of England’s 35 innings since the start of 2024
Advantage England? Emma Raducanu gives tips to squad for All Blacks clash
England’s preparations for their clash with the All Blacks on Saturday have been boosted by some words of wisdom from the former US Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu, who visited their Bagshot training base on Tuesday.Raducanu took to the training field with Steve Borthwick’s squad, taking part in lineout practice and kicking drills with Marcus Smith before sharing insights with the captain, Maro Itoje. Borthwick also invited the Brighton manager, Fabian Hürzeler, to address the squad this week.Eddie Jones was vilified in 2021 when he appeared to criticise the British No 1 women’s tennis player, using the 22-year-old to illustrate the pitfalls of off-field distractions when saying: “There’s a reason why the young girl who won the US Open hasn’t done so well afterwards.” As revealed by the Guardian, Raducanu then skipped an invitation from the Rugby Football Union to attend a match at Twickenham later that autumn
England play Generation Game against All Blacks with overhaul of traditional order of selection | Robert Kitson
Selecting your best XV to start a big rugby match feels increasingly quaint these days, as redolent of a different era as the Generation Game or Starsky & Hutch. To the point where you half expect to find the home teamsheet to face New Zealand this weekend has D‑N‑A‑L‑G‑N‑E printed at the top of it. Even with the All Blacks in town, the traditional order of selection no longer applies.Instead it is all about the endgame. On this occasion Steve Borthwick has picked six British & Irish Lions on his bench compared with only four in his starting lineup
Steve Borthwick warns England to prepare for pain in All Blacks clash
Steve Borthwick has called on his side to prepare for “pain and suffering” if they are to end their losing run against the All Blacks, demanding the most selfless England team in history in the showdown on Saturday.Predicting an aerial bombardment from New Zealand, Borthwick has recalled George Ford, insisting his fly‑half general “will be an England coach in the future”, and again loaded his bench with the “Pom Squad”, including six British & Irish Lions among his replacements.Freddie Steward returns at full‑back and Borthwick has stacked his bench with Ellis Genge – who was captain last week –Luke Cowan‑Dickie, Will Stuart, Tom Curry, Henry Pollock and Marcus Smith; all of whom toured Australia with the Lions during the summer.England have not beaten New Zealand since the 2019 World Cup semi-final and lost three narrow encounters against them last year. The All Blacks are unbeaten in five Twickenham games, a run dating back to 2012
The race begins to make the world’s best self-driving cars
Datacenters meet resistance over environmental concerns as AI boom spreads in Latin America
Can OpenAI keep pace with industry’s soaring costs?
Tech giants vow to defend users in US as spyware companies make inroads with Trump administration
Elon Musk makes himself far-right fixture after White House departure
ChatGPT accused of acting as ‘suicide coach’ in series of US lawsuits