Sacha Meat Sauce Noodles Lunch Box

This sacha meat sauce noodles lunch box comes about by combining two of my family’s favourite Taiwanese recipes – sacha sauce noodles, topped with an equally delicious shallot sauce minced meat. The lunch box can be kept at room temperature (if there is no access to a fridge and/or microwave) for half a day. The shallot sauce meat, broccoli and egg can be prepared in advance as part of meal prepping, so that it’s easy to assemble this lunch box on the actual day itself.

STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS

STEP 1. MAKE SHALLOT SAUCE MINCED MEAT (MEAL PREP)

I made a big pot of Taiwanese-style shallot sauce meat the day before. To me, meal prepping is an important aspect of making a lunch box!

Check out the detailed step-by-step photos for shallot sauce meat recipe here.

STEP 2. MAKE THE SACHA MEAT SAUCE NOODLES

This is sacha sauce + sesame oil + vinegar. The soy sauce should be added at this step too, but I forgot about it and I added it later when tossing the noodles. Use a spatula to mix the sauce well.

Add cooked noodles. For authenticity, use Taiwanese yongchun noodles (永春面). I used ramen noodles instead as that’s what I have at my pantry.  You can use any favourite noodles such as angel hair, spaghetti or udon …

Toss to mix the sauce with the noodles evenly. Season to taste. The sacha noodles are done!

STEP 3. ASSEMBLE THE LUNCH BOX

Place sacha noodles in the lunch box. Ladle generous amount of shallot meat sauce over the noodles. Top with broccoli florets (or any veg such as blanched bok chye or shredded cucumber), a boiled egg and generous amount of chopped spring onions.

Optional: extra sauce bottle. The noodles tend to get dry as they sit in the lunch box. I borrowed Japanese maze soba’s concept of drizzling a savoury sauce over the noodles just before eating, so that the noodles are deliciously flavourful & oily (in a good way). I simply bottle the sauce from my big pot of cooked shallot sauce meat and add a bit of sesame oil. Drizzle this sauce over the noodles just before mixing and eating. Sprinkle a splash of water over the noodles if you are reheating the noodles in the microwave.

Make sure to mix the noodles well, so that you can enjoy the deliciously savoury minced meat in every bite! 

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Sacha Sauce Noodles with Meat Sauce Lunch Box Recipe

Check out this step-by-step recipe for shallot sauce minced pork  – it can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days as part of meal prepping. When making this lunch box, scoop out the amount of meat required, reheat on the microwave or stove, and let the sauce cool down to room temperature before closing the lunch box.

Serves: 2 lunch boxes

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• shallot sauce minced pork pre-cooked; use about 2 ladles of sauce per pax serving
• cooked broccoli florets pre-cooked; see cooking note below
• 1 boiled egg (pre-cooked; click here for ramen egg recipe)
• chopped spring onions

Sacha Sauce Noodles

Measurements are for 1 pax (lunch box), make more according to number of servings required

• 1 bundle (90g) dried “yang chun” noodles (阳春面) may substitute with any noodles such as ramen, angel hair or udon

(A) Seasonings for Sacha Sauce Noodles

• 1 level tbsp shacha sauce
• 1 tsp clear rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce to taste
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tbsp garlic oil, shallot oil or lard oil (can substitute with sesame oil)

For the Lunch Box

• cooked broccoli florets see cooking note below
• boiled egg (pre-cooked; click here for ramen egg recipe)
• chopped spring onions

Directions:

1. Make sacha sauce noodles. Make the quick sauce by combining (A) in the large bowl; stir to mix evenly with a spatula. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain noodles in a colander and rinse it through tap water to cool. Toss the drained noodles in the prepared sauce until evenly mixed. Season to taste.
2. Assemble Lunch Box. In each lunch box, place sacha sauce sauce noodles along with a generous serving (roughly two ladles) of shallot sauce minced pork over the noodles. Garnish with egg, broccoli and chopped spring onions. Optional: Prepare a mini dressing bottle containing 20ml of sauce from the pot of cooked shallot sauce meat + some sesame oil.
3. Storing & Reheating Tips. This lunch box can keep at room temperature for half a day. For maximum freshness, keep the lunch box in the fridge or a cooler bag with an ice pack. When ready to eat, drizzle the bottled sauce over the noodles and mix well. Sprinkle some water over the noodles if you are reheating the noodles in the microwave.

Cooking Note(s):

1. I’m using Ikea’s microwave-safe 750ml 365+ lunch box, without the inner compartments.
2. Cook broccoli florets by boiling for 2 1/2 minutes or steaming for 3 minutes. Drain the broccoli and cool down under running water.
3. As an alternative to broccoli, you can use any greens such as blanched boy choy or shredded cucumber.

Ingredients Used: broccoli • carrot • egg • fish sauce • garlic salt • mince pork • noodle • pork • ramen noodle • sesame oil • sesame seed • shallot • shallot sauce • soy sauce (light) • white pepper powder