Taiwanese sha-cha seafood noodles 台式沙茶海鮮炒麵

We went to H Mart (the Korean grocery store) on this past Sunday. I love H Mart. The quality of the produces there is top quality. It is pricy, especially beef, but the quality is really good. Plus, it's not close enough to go too often, so it's OK. After shopping, we stopped by the food court for dinner. As we finished dinner, my husband went to bring the car to the front, and I was left alone with the twins. They started to make a scene. They were tied up in the car seat for too long. I couldn't calm them down, but I didn't want to pick them up, either. This was the moment when even the pacifiers didn't work. So many people were staring at us. I quickly push them away from the crowd, but I was still wondering how people would judge me: a useless mom?

Anyway, we bought some good quality seafood, including fish, shrimps and squids. I was going to make Seafood Alfredo, but I changed my mind. It turned out it's Taiwanese style, not Italian... It tasted so~ good~ with the sha cha sauce (沙茶醬). And spaghetti tastes just like the kind of noodles back home. Next time I am going to try beef.


Sha-Cha Pan Fired Noodles (serves 4)

• two squids
• 20 shirmps
• one cup thin sliced carrots
• 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms
• some Taiwanese basil leaves (九層塔)
• 3-5 Tbsp sha cha sauce
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp cooking wine
• 1 lb. of thin spaghetti 

Instructions:
1. Cut open the squids and lay flat. With inside facing up, make checkerboard pattern (but do not cut through), then cut into bite sizes. (This is for it to curl up when cooked.)
2. Remove the head and shell of the shrimps. Marinate the squids and shrimps with the cooking wine and some salt.
3. Cut the carrots and mushrooms into thin slices.
4. Cook the spaghetti al dente. When there's about 2 minutes left, heat up the pan.
5. Heat up 1/4 cup vegetable oil until it's fairly hot.
6. Add the seafood. Saute until the squids curl up.
7. Add the mushrooms and vegetables. Saute.
8. Add the sha-cha sauce. Mix well.
9. Add the spaghetti. Mix well.
10. Add the Taiwanese basil leaves, soy sauce and saseme oil. Mix well. Serve.