After a long day of work, you probably don’t want to have to cook anything complicated. Whenever I have days like this, I like keeping it simple as well. Of course, simple does not necessarily mean bland, and this dish is both easy and flavorful. The name “Ants climbing a tree” stems from the fact that the small ingredients on top of the glass noodles look like ants climbing a tree. I’ll have to admit that I started cooking this dish purely because I thought the name sounded cute…
Ingredients
- Ginger
- Ground beef
- Glass noodles
- Chili oil (I like to use Lao Gan Ma)
- Black bean sauce
- Spring onion
- Light and dark soy sauce (if you only have dark soy sauce, use a little more)
- Chicken or beef broth
- A little brown sugar
- A little cooking oil
- Optional garlic
Cooking plan
- Soak your glass noodles in cold water for about 10 minutes.
- Start by finely chopping your ginger and spring onion. Add them to an oil-coated pan on medium heat. You may also add garlic if you like. Make sure not to burn the ginger (and garlic).
- Once your spring onion starts to brown a little, add your chili oil and black bean sauce.
- Once they have become aromatic, add in your ground beef on high heat until properly browned. The texture should be very granular.
- Next, add your broth to the pan. It should be able to nearly coat your glass noodles. (But don’t add them yet!)
- To this broth, add light and dark soy sauce in equal parts. Also add a little sugar to taste. Once it starts boiling, also add your glass noodles (without the water).
- Let it simmer until your noodles are cooked and the water has evaporated. You are now ready to serve.
ENJOY!