Crispy chilli beef is a takeaway favourite. What’s not to love? Crispy, chewy and succulent beef in a spicy and sweet sticky chilli sauce, gorgeous! So you’d expect you can’t really have this more than your takeaway treat? Wrong!

‘Treat’ yourself to these absolutely delicious noodles, that are LIGHTER, using lean cuts of beef, only 1 tbsp of oil and wayyyyy less sugar than the usual takeaway kind.

Packed with fragrant ginger, chilli, garlic and LOADS of veggies, this is a lot fresher and tastier.

Recipe (serves 2)

For the beef

4 extra lean minute steaks (about 400-500g)

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry works)

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp corn flour

1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the noodles

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 red chillies, sliced (I keep the seeds in)

Mixed vegetables , peeled and prepared as needed – I used mangetout, baby sweetcorn, beansprouts, carrots (cut into matchsticks), spring onions and chunks of pineapple (I love pineapple in a stirfry!!) 

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

2 tbsp water

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp corn flour mixed with 2 tbsp water

2 nests of dried noodles, cooked as per the instructions on the pack

Sesame seeds to garnish

Slice the beef into thin strips and coat in the sesame oil, Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes (you can prep everything else in the meantime). Heat the vegetable oil in a pan until hot. Pour the corn flour over the beef and toss until coated. Fry in a single layer in the oil until cripsy, turning to brown all over. It will take time, but this is where you save on the oil. If needed, spritz with 1 cal oil. Leave to one side.

Fry the ginger, garlic and chilli in the same pan for a few minutes. Add in the vegetables and cook on a high heat until charred but still crunchy. In a bowl,  mix together the soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, water, lime juice and tomato puree. Pour this into the veggies, followed by the cornflour/water mix to thicken, then stir in the noodles and beef. Cook and stir until the noodles are coated.

Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and serve immediately.