Thenthuk with Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 5¼ ozWheat flourfor the noodle dough
• ⅓ cupWateradd gradually to the flour until a firm, non-sticky dough forms
• 4¼ cupsVegetable stockas the soup base; water with bouillon works too
• 2 tbspVegetable oilfor frying, plus a little to oil the dough
• 2 clovesGarlicfinely chopped
• 1 tbspGingerfresh, peeled and finely minced
• 1Onionsliced or roughly diced
• 2Tomatoroughly chopped, fried until softened
• 3½ ozMushroomsquartered or cut into chunks
• 5¼ ozDaikon radishpeeled, thinly sliced
• 1Carrotcut into thin strips
• 3½ ozSpinachfresh, added only at the end
• 2Spring onionsliced, added at the end
• 1 bunchCilantroroughly chopped, to serve
• 2 tbspSoy sauceto season the broth
• Saltfor the dough and the soup
• Black pepperground, to taste
• 3½ ozTofudiced, seared as a topping (optional)
• Chilli oilto serve (optional)
• Vinegaradded just before serving for a sour note (optional)
• 1 tspSichuan pepperfried in the oil at the start (optional)

Method

1. Mix the all-purpose flour with salt and add the water bit by bit, working everything into a firm, smooth dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Knead it hard for 4 to 15 minutes, until it feels elastic.
2. Shape the dough into ropes about as thick as your thumb, rub them all over with a little vegetable oil, cover and leave to rest at room temperature — 5 minutes at the least, up to an hour if you have the time. That rest is what gives the hand-torn noodles their texture.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot. If you like, toast the Sichuan peppercorns in the oil first. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry over medium heat until softened and translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes and let them cook down for a few minutes until they collapse. Then add the button mushrooms, daikon and carrot and fry briefly with everything else.
5. Pour in the vegetable stock, season with salt and soy sauce, bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes, until the vegetables are almost tender.
6. Flatten a piece of dough, stretch it between both hands into a thin ribbon and tear off thumb-sized pieces, letting them drop straight into the boiling soup. Work through all the dough this way.
7. Let the noodles cook for 2 to 10 minutes, until they float to the surface and no longer taste doughy. Give the pot a stir along the way so nothing sticks together.
8. Stir in the spinach, sliced spring onion and cilantro and let them sit in the heat only briefly, just until the spinach wilts.
9. Taste and adjust with salt, black pepper and soy sauce, then serve straight away, piping hot, in deep bowls. Seared tofu cubes on top and a spoonful of chilli oil both work well here.

Tips and variations

If you'd rather have even noodles, roll the dough out thin and cut it into ribbons — the flour clinging to them thickens the soup a little. You can also fry the vegetables and tofu separately over high heat and spoon them onto the noodle soup as a topping at the end. For a more heavily spiced broth, season it with Sichuan peppercorns, ground coriander and garam masala and serve with chilli oil; ready-made ginger-garlic paste stands in fine for freshly chopped garlic and ginger. If your daikon smells sharp, soak it in salted water and rinse it before slicing — that's how it's done in Tibet. A splash of vinegar just before serving brings a sour note to the bowl.