Step by step

Method

5 steps

1. 1

   Soak 5 oz dried mung bean (glass) noodles in warm water until pliable and translucent, 8–10 minutes. Drain well and snip into shorter lengths with kitchen scissors — long ropes are a wrestling match later. They should feel springy, not mushy.

2. 2

   Whisk 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ¼ cup water, and a pinch of white pepper until the sugar dissolves. Set next to the stove.

3. 3

   Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Pour in 2 lightly beaten large eggs and scramble until softly set, about 1 minute — still a little glossy is fine. Transfer to a plate.

4. 4

   Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Stir-fry 8 oz peeled shrimp with 2 minced garlic cloves until the shrimp turn opaque and loosely C-shaped, about 2 minutes. Add 1 small carrot in matchsticks, 1 cup thinly sliced cabbage, and 2 scallions cut into 2-inch pieces; toss 2 minutes until the cabbage wilts slightly but stays crisp.

5. 5

   Add the noodles and sauce. Keep tossing until the noodles are hot, glossy, and tender, 2–3 minutes — if they stick, splash in another tablespoon of water and scrape. Fold the scrambled egg back in. Serve hot. You want springy glass noodles slick with savory sauce and plump shrimp — not a dry clump or a watery soy puddle.