Noodles and Rice

Reader Request: Curried Rice Noodles

by Stef on February 14th, 2007

Hi Laura, this is for you:). This dish is usually associated with Singapore, but versions can be found in China, Malaysia and Thailand as well — the curry of course is an Indian influence. If you mix your own curry powder, by all means, use it! I have provided a basic recipe here which is very flexible.

2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 small onion, sliced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 cup one or all of these — shrimp, peeled and deveined; cut up roast pork, or shredded chicken, or raw chopped chicken breast meat, optional if you want a vegetarian dish, or substitute pre-cooked/fried tofu strips
1 small red bell pepper, julienned
1 cup shredded Napa cabbage (or regular cabbage, or use frenched green beans, or thinly sliced — on the diagonal — snow peas)
1/2 cup julienned carrots and/or celery
2 scallions, cut into 2-inch shreds
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts, trimmed, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon curry powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk, plus 1-2 cups hot chicken stock or water if necessary
1 8-oz package rice sticks or rice noodles (if you using rice sticks, just rinse; if using rice noodles, the thicker kind, soften in hot water for 10 minutes before using)
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten, then pre-fried (very briefly) and sliced into thin shreds, optional
juice of half a lime, or lime wedges for serving, optional

Heat oil in large wok or skillet, then add garlic, onion, and ginger, stirring a bit after each and waiting until aromatics are limp and starting to turn color before adding the next one. Add your meat or shrimp at this point, and cook a few minutes just to flavor the meat. Add vegetables and stir-fry 2-3 minutes, then add curry powder, sugar, soy sauce, and coconut milk. Stir for 2 minutes to distribute flavors, then remove solids to a platter with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the noodles to the liquid in the skillet and stir-fry until noodles absorb the liquid and is almost completely cooked. Add chicken stock or water if necessary (amount will depend on the kind of noodles you used). When noodles still have a bit of firmness to them, return meat and vegetables to the wok and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings, stir in egg shreds and lime juice if using, and serve immediately.

The vegetables are very flexible — use what you have. I usually like a combination so there’s an interplay of color. The liquid used can also be adjusted, to either end up with a dry dish, or a soupy one, in which case double the amounts of coconut milk and chicken stock used. Another way to do it is to deep-fry the noodles (prepare for lots of splattering though!) and serve the vegetables and “sauce” as a topping. If you prefer Thai flavors, use fish sauce instead of the soy. There are many other forms of curried noodles, this is just one of them! Hope you like it!

To any Singaporeans reading this, please comment and tell us how you make yours!

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POSTED IN: Malaysian, Noodles : Asian, Singapore, Thai