Konjac Noodle Stir Fry with Cassava: My Weird High‑Fibre Obsession#

So, um, I didn’t exactly plan to become the friend who won’t shut up about konjac noodles and cassava, but here we are. It’s 2026, plant‑based menus are everywhere, everybody’s talking about GLP‑1 friendly meals and blood sugar and fibre, and I’m over here yelling: “Have you tried konjac noodle stir fry with cassava yet??” like some kind of crunchy evangelist.

This dish started as a random experiment on a Tuesday night and now it’s like… my weekly ritual. It hits all the checkboxes people are obsessing over right now: high‑fibre, low‑glycaemic, gluten‑free, very much Ozempic‑era friendly, but also actually delicious. And yeah, I know “healthy” and “noodles” still sounds fake to some people, but stick with me, you’ll see.

The Night I Accidentally Made My New Comfort Food#

I remember the first time I threw this together. It was last year, late 2025, I’d just come back from this tiny konbini‑style shop in East London that had way too many types of noodles. They had the usual ramen and udon, but also, like, five brands of konjac noodles, those vacuum‑packed clear ones people on TikTok keep calling “miracle pasta.” Right next to them? Frozen cassava cubes and cassava flour tortillas, because apparently cassava is having a whole moment too.

I’d seen konjac all over my feed – especially with the whole 2024–2026 gut‑health boom, people talking about soluble fibre, glucomannan, satiety, that one Stanford study everybody keeps quoting about fibre and microbiome diversity. And cassava’s been slowly sneaking into everything: grain‑free breads, tapioca boba 2.0, even some 2026 gluten‑free pizza crusts in New York that people swear don’t taste like cardboard. So obviously my little food‑nerd brain went: what if I just… mash these two trends into one pan?

I got home, tossed konjac noodles in a screaming hot wok with garlic, ginger, random veggies from the fridge, and some pan‑fried cassava cubes, and honestly I expected mush. Like sad, gummy mush. Instead I got this chewy, bouncy, crispy‑edged stir fry that was stupidly satisfying for something that was basically 80% fibre. I stood over the stove, burning my mouth, thinking: oh wow, this is nothing like diet food.

Wait, What Even Is Konjac And Why Is Everyone Suddenly Eating It?#

If you’ve somehow missed all the konjac hype: it’s a root vegetable (also called konnyaku or devil’s tongue) that’s been part of East Asian cooking for ages, especially in Japan and parts of China and Korea. The main fibre in it is glucomannan, which is super water‑absorbent so it forms this bouncy, jelly‑like texture. That’s how you get those clear or white, almost rubbery konjac noodles that come packed in suspicious‑looking liquid.

The reason it’s blowing up again in 2026 is kind of predictable: every wellness newsletter on earth is obsessed with blood sugar, satiety, and GLP‑1 right now. High‑fibre, low‑cal, low‑carb noodles? It ticks all the boxes. A bunch of meal‑delivery startups (especially in the US and Singapore) are now offering “GLP‑1 friendly” or “semaglutide‑supportive” menus built on konjac pasta, chickpea everything, and yeah, cassava flour wraps. Konjac noodles have basically gone from niche Asian‑grocery find to mainstream, like, your standard supermarket “health” aisle item.

One thing people don’t tell you though: konjac noodles right out of the pack smell kinda… fishy? Not actually fish, more like a weird sea aroma. Totally normal, but you absolutely need to rinse and parboil them or the taste will haunt you. The TikTok girlies are right about that part.

And Then There’s Cassava: The Starchy Bestie That Balances It Out#

Cassava (yuca, manioc, whatever you grew up calling it) is like the anti‑konjac in some ways. It’s carby, it’s comforting, it’s what I grew up eating in little fried chunks at random family BBQs. Back then it was just “that thing that isn’t potato but kinda is.” Now it’s low‑key a whole global trend.

Over the last couple of years, a ton of gluten‑free bakeries in places like Toronto, Berlin, and Melbourne started leaning hard into cassava flour because it behaves more like wheat than almond or coconut flour. In 2025, a São Paulo‑inspired spot near me launched cassava waffle sandwiches and it’s been packed ever since. And in NYC there’s this tiny thing in Queens doing Nigerian‑Brazilian fusion with garri bowls and tapioca crepes — super niche but people are queueing. Cassava’s getting that "rediscovered ancient carb" treatment that quinoa had 10 years ago, but with more street food vibes.

The cool part? Cassava’s not just starch. When it’s minimally processed, you still get resistant starch and some fibre, which your gut bacteria apparently love. Again, microbiome nerds are thrilled. So pairing cassava with konjac, fibre‑wise, is like giving your gut a cozy weighted blanket.

Why This Konjac–Cassava Stir Fry Actually Works (Not Just on Paper)#

On paper this dish sounds like something a nutritionist came up with while trapped in an Excel spreadsheet: high‑fibre, low GI, blah blah. In a pan though, it’s way more fun than that. Here’s why it works so well for me:

  • Konjac noodles bring that bouncy, slurpy texture and soak up sauce without going heavy or gloopy. When you dry‑fry them first, they get surprisingly nice chew instead of rubber.
  • Cassava cubes or thin slices get crispy on the outside, soft in the middle. They replace the usual rice or egg noodles vibes, but feel a bit more rustic.
  • Massive fibre hit – glucomannan from konjac + resistant starch from cassava. Super filling without the food coma, which is kinda the dream.
  • It’s accidentally very inclusive: gluten‑free, dairy‑free, works with plant‑based proteins, and can be made low‑sodium if you’re into that.

I’ve made this dish for my friend who’s celiac, my cousin who’s on a GLP‑1 medication, and my gym bro neighbour who just wants “high protein, high fibre, no nonsense” dinners. Weirdly, they all liked it. That almost never happens.

My First Restaurant Konjac Stir Fry (And Why I Still Prefer My Pan)#

So. There’s this new place in town that opened early 2026, a sort of pan‑Asian‑meets‑functional‑food spot. You know the type: neon signs, kombucha on tap, menu sprinkled with words like “adaptogenic” and “bio‑available.” They had a konjac noodle dan dan stir fry that went low‑key viral on Instagram because the noodles apparently had 90% fewer carbs than regular wheat ones and still looked insanely good.

I went. Of course I did. Me and him went on a rainy Wednesday and the whole restaurant smelled like toasted Sichuan pepper and sesame oil. The konjac noodles were very legit: chewy, not watery, loaded with chilli oil, crushed peanuts, a plant‑based mince made from pea protein that honestly fooled me for a second. They topped it with pickled veggies and this nutty, miso‑heavy sauce that hugged the noodles so well I almost licked the bowl.

But. The thing with restaurant konjac is they sometimes overcompensate. Too much sauce, too much oil, just to prove “see, it’s not diet food!!” which, like, fair, but also you do not need three tablespoons of chilli crisp for a single bowl. I left happy but super heavy, which kinda defeats the whole point of choosing konjac over wheat noodles for me.

My home version, with cassava in the mix, feels more balanced. Still punchy and saucy, but you don’t roll away from the table afterwards. Just pleasantly full, maybe a tiny bit smug.

Okay But How Do You Actually Make This Stuff Taste Good?#

Let me just say this clearly: if you eat konjac noodles straight from the pack with soy sauce on top and nothing else, you will hate them and you will blame me. Don’t do that. They need a bit of pampering.

  • 1. Rinse and parboil the konjac noodles
    Run them under cold water for a minute or two, then boil them in clean water for about 2–3 minutes. This gets rid of the weird smell and softens the texture a bit.
  • 2. Dry‑fry the noodles
    Drain really well, then toss them in a dry non‑stick pan or wok over medium‑high heat for a few minutes until they squeak a little and look a bit drier. That’s when they start grabbing onto sauce instead of slipping around.
  • 3. Pre‑cook your cassava
    If you’re using frozen cassava chunks, boil them till just tender, then drain. If you’ve got fresh cassava (lucky you), make sure it’s peeled properly and boiled first – raw cassava can be toxic, so don’t mess around with that.
  • 4. Crisp the cassava
    Pan‑fry the cooked cassava in a bit of oil till the edges go golden and crunchy. Season with salt, maybe a hint of smoked paprika or chilli if you like.
  • 5. Build flavour like your life depends on it
    Garlic, ginger, scallions, maybe some chilli. A good sauce made from tamari or soy, rice vinegar, a touch of something sweet (maple, coconut sugar, whatever), and a rich element like sesame oil, miso, or nut butter.

The biggest mistake I made early on was under‑seasoning, because my brain still thought of this as “diet” food and I got shy with oil and salt. Don’t. Use enough fat to make things glossy, enough acid to brighten, and enough salt so your tastebuds light up. You can still keep it light without eating sad noodles.

My Go‑To High‑Fibre Stir Fry Formula (Very Chill, Not Exact)#

I don’t really do strict recipes for this anymore, it’s more like a vibe. But here’s roughly how I build a pan for two people when I’m not measuring anything and probably have a podcast playing too loud in the background.

  • Base: 2 packs konjac noodles (around 400 g total when drained)
  • Cassava: 1–1.5 cups cooked cassava chunks or thin slices
  • Veg: whatever you’ve got – I love shredded cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli stems, snap peas
  • Protein (optional but good): tofu cubes, tempeh, leftover roast chicken, shrimp, or one of those new 2026 mycelium “chicken” strips that are weirdly convincing
  • Aromatics: 3 cloves garlic, a thumb of ginger, 2–3 scallions
  • Sauce-ish thing:
    - 2–3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
    - 1–2 tbsp rice vinegar or black vinegar
    - 1 tbsp miso or nut butter (tahini, peanut, almond)
    - 1 tsp maple or coconut sugar
    - splash of chilli oil or gochujang if you like heat
    - finish with sesame oil

You stir fry aromatics, crisp the cassava and your protein, toss in veggies, then konjac noodles, then the sauce. It sounds basic but the textures are what make it special: bouncy noodles, crispy edges, soft cassava, crunchy veg. It feels like a lot more work than it is.

A Little Side Quest: Konjac Chaos In My Tiny Kitchen#

Not gonna lie, my first few attempts were tragic. One time I skipped the dry‑frying step because I was tired and hungry and convinced it “wouldn’t matter that much.” I ended up with what I can only describe as sauce‑flavoured jelly worms mixed with undercooked cassava. Me and my roommate just stared at eachother like, did we wrong somebody in a past life.

Another night I got overexcited about the protein part and added way too much firm tofu, like half a block per person, plus chickpeas for some reason. Between the konjac, the cassava, the tofu, the chickpeas and all the veg, it was fibre chaos. Delicious, but my stomach was like absolutely not, please calm down. Learned the hard way: just because fibre is good doesn’t mean double fibre plus extra fibre is better. Ease into it, especially if you’re not used to high‑fibre meals.

2026 Food Trends That Accidentally Make This Dish Kinda Cool#

What cracks me up about this konjac‑cassava stir fry is that it somehow sits at the intersection of like five current food trends without me really trying:

  • Gut‑health everything – People are finally realising fibre matters more than fancy supplements. Konjac (glucomannan) shows up in a bunch of 2025–2026 gut‑support drink mixes and cassava’s resistant starch is getting more love in nutrition research circles.
  • Blood sugar friendly / GLP‑1 aware menus – A lot of new cafes in 2026 are doing low‑GI bowls, konjac pastas, high‑fibre wraps as their “inclusive for folks on GLP‑1s” options. This dish fits right in with that whole vibe without screaming “diet food.”
  • Plant‑forward, not necessarily vegan – You can add shrimp or chicken if you want, but the base of fibre, veg, and cassava is very plant‑centric. That’s the whole trend now: not all‑or‑nothing vegan, but plant‑forward with flexible protein.
  • Root‑to‑stem and heritage roots – There’s been this renewed love for root vegetables beyond potatoes: taro, cassava, jicama, lotus root, all showing up in trendy 2026 tasting menus and casual street food. Cassava is very much part of that wave.
  • Upgraded convenience foods – Ready‑to‑eat konjac stir fry kits and frozen cassava fries are starting to pop up in grocery delivery apps. Some are actually good, but honestly, this stir fry is the fresher, cheaper version.

I kinda love that this meal feels like regular home cooking, but if you squint you could absolutely imagine it on some influencer’s “day in my gut‑friendly life” video.

Where To Try Konjac And Cassava Out In The Wild#

If you don’t feel like cooking yet (fair), you can totally let restaurants do the experimenting for you. A few places I’ve tried or stalked online that do similar high‑fibre noodle things:

There’s a new health‑leaning noodle bar near me that added a rotating konjac special to their 2026 menu – last month it was a konjac yakisoba with roasted sweet potato and crispy tofu, next month they’re testing cassava tempura bits on top instead of panko. The line at lunch is ridiculous. It’s half gym people in leggings, half office folks pretending they’re making smart choices before going back to their desks and eating donuts.

In a different lane, a Nigerian‑Brazilian pop‑up I hit a few months ago was doing garlic konjac noodles with cassava krokets. They said they wanted something lighter than pasta to go with their super crunchy cassava snacks, and konjac worked weirdly well with garlicky oil and lime. It wasn’t a full stir fry like mine, more like a side dish situation, but you could feel the same idea there: chewy noodles + root vegetable crunch + loads of flavour.

More and more Asian fusion spots are sneaking konjac onto their menus too, sometimes quietly, like “skinny noodles” or “yam noodles.” If you see those words, there’s a decent chance they’re konjac. And cassava’s hiding under names like yuca fries, tapioca buns, pão de queijo, or farofa toppings. Once you start spotting them, you realize this whole high‑fibre fusion thing is already kinda happening, just in pieces.

Little Tweaks To Make It Your Own#

The nice thing about this stir fry is that it doesn’t really ask you to be precise. It’s more like, here’s the structure, go wild. Some of my favourite little variations lately:

  • Spicy coconut version – Add a spoon of red curry paste and a splash of light coconut milk to the sauce, lots of lime and basil on top. Cassava loves coconut, trust me.
  • Smoky BBQ-ish version – Use smoked paprika, a dash of vegan Worcestershire, and a little tomato paste in the sauce. Add grilled corn and charred peppers. It kinda tastes like BBQ noodle salad in a good way.
  • Breakfast(?) version – I know this sounds insane but leftover konjac‑cassava stir fry fried in the morning with a couple of eggs cracked in is so good. I had it once by accident because I was hungover and now it’s a thing.
  • Crunch factor – Top with roasted peanuts, cashews, or those trendy crispy chickpea clusters all the 2026 snack brands are pushing. Or crumbled cassava chips if you’re going full meta.

And honestly if you hate cassava, you can swap in sweet potato or taro or even parsnip. It won’t be the exact same, but it’ll still be a nice high‑fibre root‑plus‑noodle showdown.

A Tiny Reality Check (Because Not Everything Is Magic)#

I feel like I should say this because the internet is full of miracle claims right now. Konjac noodles and cassava are not going to fix your life. They’re not going to make you drop 20 kilos overnight or magically heal your gut or whatever wild thing someone on Reels promised last week.

What they can do though is give you a really satisfying way to eat more fibre and more plants without feeling like you’re punishing yourself. They slot into normal cooking so nicely. No weird rules, no special app, just a pan, some veggies, some roots, and your tastebuds.

Also, small warning: if you’re not used to high‑fibre meals, go slow. Start with smaller portions of konjac and cassava, drink water, listen to your body. I made the mistake of going full send from day one and my stomach was, uh, very vocal about it. Learn from my bad decisions.

Why I Keep Coming Back To This Dish#

At the end of a long day, this konjac noodle stir fry with cassava is just…easy. It’s one pot (well, plus a little boiling situation), it uses whatever veg is left in the crisper, and it makes me feel genuinely good after I eat it. Not just in the smug “I did a healthy thing” way, but in that calm, steady energy way where you don’t crash two hours later.

I also really love that it connects a bunch of food stories together. Konjac from Japanese and broader East Asian food traditions, cassava from African, Caribbean, South American kitchens, modern 2026 wellness trends, my messy little apartment experiments, those neon‑lit restaurants trying to make everything functional and fun at the same time. It’s like this tiny fusion dish that actually respects all the parts instead of turning them into some beige, bland compromise.

So yeah, if you’ve never tried konjac noodles, or if you tried them once in some sad “diet” recipe and swore never again, maybe give them another shot. Pair them with cassava, crank up the flavour, don’t be shy with the aromatics, and see what happens. Worst case, you order takeout. Best case, you discover your new weeknight obsession.

If you end up making your own version or finding a restaurant that does something similar, seriously, send it my way. I’m always creeping through different blogs and sites for new ideas, and lately I’ve been scrolling AllBlogs.in a lot for random food inspiration and weird mash‑ups people are trying. So if you post your high‑fibre fusion madness there, there’s a good chance I’ll stumble on it at 1am while I’m planning my next bowl of konjac‑cassava stir fry.