When my Chinese-food-loving sister last visited London (back when I was living in Islington), we took her to Xi’an Impression for dinner.

Located right across the Emirate Stadium, this un-impressive, barely better than your usual Chinatown joint -looking Chinese restaurant is a true hidden gem.

They specialise in dishes from the Xi’an province and that’s where I had my first taste of Xi’an style noodles. Hot, salty, with a strong taste of garlic and warmth of chilli, it’s China’s answer to Italy’s aglio e olio.

Needless to say, it was love at first bite.

And as it turns out, Xi’an-style noodles also happen to be an excellent budget recipe, being entirely made up of store cupboard ingredients. (I added pak choi, but feel free to switch for any leftover greens you have  or to skip it entirely)

So next time you’re in the supermarket, I recommend you pick up the below ingredients.

Udon know when you might need a quick & easy dinner recipe!

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More easy dinner recipes

Spring vegetable quiche (V)

Gnocchi with tomato & wild garlic (Vegan)

Tomato-coconut pasta (Vegan)