Funchoza with Meat Sauce — Bean Thread Noodles with Meat Sauce

Welcome to a delightful fusion of flavors! Today, we're making Funchoza with Meat Sauce, a dish that brings the delicate texture of Asian glass noodles together with a rich, hearty sauce reminiscent of European comfort food. Funchoza, or bean thread noodles, are famous for their unique translucent appearance and their amazing ability to soak up flavors. This recipe pairs them with a savory sauce made from a mix of ground pork and beef, sautéed vegetables, and a touch of tomato paste. It's a quick, satisfying, and incredibly versatile meal perfect for a weeknight dinner. Let's dive in and create something truly special!

Cooking: 30 minutes
Quantity: 2 Servings
Per serving
Calories: 311 kcal
Proteins: 20 g
Fats: 11 g
Carbohydrates: 34 g

Ingredients for Bean Funchoza with Meat Sauce

  • 100 g bean funchoza (glass or cellophane noodles)
  • 150 g domashniy farsh (homemade ground meat, typically a mix of pork and beef)
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup green peas
  • a few sprigs of parsley
  • salt, sugar, vegetable oil, ground red and black pepper
  • rice or corn paper wrapper (optional)

How to Make Bean Funchoza with Meat Sauce

Raw homemade ground meat being placed into a hot, oiled frying pan to start the sauce.

Placing chilled homemade ground meat onto a greased, preheated frying pan.

Chopped onions, carrots, and peppers being sautéed in a frying pan.

Sautéing vegetables in a separate pan.

Cooked ground meat, sautéed vegetables, and fresh herbs being mixed together in a pan.

Mixing the ground meat and stewed vegetables, adding chopped herbs.


First, prepare the meat sauce. Place chilled homemade ground meat (a mix of ground pork and beef) onto a greased, preheated frying pan. Sauté the meat over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula to prevent clumping.

In a separate pan, sauté the vegetables. Finely dice an onion. Scrape a carrot and grate it on a coarse vegetable grater. Cut a bell pepper in half, remove the seeds, and dice the flesh. Blanch a tomato, peel the skin, and chop the flesh finely. Pour a tablespoon of vegetable oil into the pan. Sauté the onion and carrot for 5 minutes. Then, add the bell pepper and tomato. Cook the vegetables over medium heat for another 7 minutes.

Finely chop a small bunch of parsley. Combine the ground meat and stewed vegetables, then add the chopped herbs. For a different flavor, try substituting cilantro for parsley—it’s also delicious.

A thin, translucent rice paper wrapper being added to a pan with meat sauce.

I had one leftover rice paper wrapper, so I decided to put it to good use.


This next step is optional. I had a leftover rice paper wrapper and decided to put it to good use. I chopped it finely and added it to the sauce; the wrapper acted as a thickener, absorbing moisture to help the sauce thicken.

A spoonful of thick tomato paste being added to the meat and vegetable mixture in the pan.

Adding thick tomato paste.

The meat and vegetable sauce simmering gently in a frying pan.

Simmering on low heat for 15 minutes.

Green peas being added to the simmering meat sauce in the pan.

Adding green peas 5 minutes before it's done.


Sauté the vegetables with the ground meat and herbs for a couple of minutes, then add thick tomato paste.

Pour in about a cup of boiling water and mix everything together. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Season with salt and ground black and red pepper to taste, and add a little sugar to balance the acidity of the tomato paste.

Add green peas 5 minutes before the sauce is ready. This recipe uses young green peas, but you can use either fresh or frozen.

Dry funchoza noodles in a white bowl with boiling water being poured over them.

Placing the funchoza in a bowl and pouring boiling water over it.


While the sauce is simmering, prepare the bean funchoza (cellophane or glass noodles made from mung bean starch). Place the funchoza in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it sit for 7-10 minutes, then drain in a colander and wait for the water to run off.

Cooked, translucent funchoza noodles being added to the pan with the meat sauce.

Adding the bean funchoza to the sauce.


Add the bean funchoza to the sauce, mix well, and heat through for just 2-3 minutes.

A close-up of the finished funchoza with meat sauce in a serving bowl.

Serving the dish hot or warm.


Serve the dish hot or warm. You can eat it with chopsticks or a fork—whichever you prefer.

And there you have it – a beautiful and flavorful bowl of Funchoza with Meat Sauce! This dish is a testament to how wonderfully different culinary traditions can blend together. Serve it hot, garnished with a little extra fresh parsley or cilantro for a pop of color and freshness. While traditionally eaten with chopsticks, feel free to use a fork – comfort is key! We hope you enjoy this simple yet elegant meal. Don't be afraid to experiment with different vegetables or spices to make it your own. Happy cooking!