Japanese Black Bean Chicken and Soba

This is a gorgeous dish, with quite a delicate flavour - if you're looking for a traditional Chinese-style black bean stir fry you should probably look elsewhere. Canned black beans are the easiest for this recipe - you only use a little, the rest of the can goes into the freezer for next time. Alternatively, if you have a few hours you can get some dried black beans from the asian grocer and reconstitute them - I haven't tried this yet but don't think it would make any difference to the end result. The recipe comes from the Golden Door Australia mailing list.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 125  g  soba noodles
• 1  teaspoon  sesame seed oil
• 250  g chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1  inch fresh ginger, minced
• 1  small carrot, finely sliced
• 1  small green pepper, finely sliced
• 1  small onion, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup button mushroom, finely sliced
• 1  tablespoon tamari soy sauce
• 125  ml  chicken stock
• 1  tablespoon  sweet chili sauce
• 1  tablespoon canned black beans, rinsed and crushed
• 1⁄2 cup  Baby Spinach

Directions

1. Cook the soba noodles according to the directions on the packet, then drain and put aside.
2. Heat sesame oil in wok. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes or until just brown.
3. Add garlic, ginger, carrot, pepper, onion, and mushrooms. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
4. Add tamari, stock, sweet chilli and black beans and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add spinach and noodles and stir gently until heated through. Serve immediately.