Singapore Noodles

Name: Singapore Noodles
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Hong Kong
Ingredients: 200 g (7 oz) thin rice vermicelli; 4 tbsp neutral oil, divided; 2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt; 200 g (7 oz) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined; 150 g (5 oz) pork tenderloin or cooked char siu, thinly sliced; see Char Siu (Cantonese Barbecue Pork); 1 onion, thinly sliced; 1 red pepper, in thin strips; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 100 g (1 cup) bean sprouts; 4 scallions, cut in 4 cm (1½ in) lengths; 1½ tbsp mild curry powder, Madras-style; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine, or dry sherry; 1 tsp sugar; ½ tsp fine sea salt; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Thin curried rice noodles with shrimp, char siu-style pork and vegetables

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 35 min
Level: Some skill

Despite the name, this is a Cantonese dish: hair-thin rice vermicelli stir-fried with curry powder, shrimp, pork, egg and vegetables until light and fragrant. Soaking the noodles in hot water and keeping the pan very hot gives fluffy, yellow strands rather than a soggy clump.

Ingredients

200 gthin rice vermicelli (7 oz)
4 tbspneutral oildivided
2eggsbeaten with a pinch of salt
200 graw shrimp (7 oz)peeled and deveined
150 gpork tenderloin or cooked char siu (5 oz)thinly sliced; see Char Siu (Cantonese Barbecue Pork)
1onionthinly sliced
1red pepperin thin strips
2 clovesgarlicfinely chopped
100 gbean sprouts (1 cup)
4scallionscut in 4 cm (1½ in) lengths
1½ tbspmild curry powderMadras-style
½ tspground turmeric
2 tbsplight soy sauce
1 tbspShaoxing rice wineor dry sherry
1 tspsugar
½ tspfine sea salt
1 tsptoasted sesame oil

Diet: Dairy-free
Allergens: crustaceans, egg, soy, gluten, sesame, sulphites
Origin: Hong Kong (Cantonese)

Method

Soak the noodles in just-boiled water until soft but still springy, 2–3 minutes (check the packet). Drain, rinse under cold water and drain very well. Snip a few times with scissors. 3 min
Mix the soy, rice wine, sugar and salt in a small bowl.
Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add 1 tbsp oil, pour in the eggs and swirl into a thin omelet. Cook until just set, 30 seconds, then roll up, tip out and slice.
Add 1 tbsp oil and stir-fry the shrimp and raw pork (if using) until just cooked, 2–3 minutes. The pork should show no pink. Lift out. 3 min
Add another 1 tbsp oil, the onion, pepper and garlic and stir-fry 2 minutes. 2 min
Add the last 1 tbsp oil, the curry powder and turmeric and stir 15 seconds until fragrant. Add the noodles and toss with tongs until evenly yellow and hot, 2 minutes. 2 min
Add the soy mixture, the shrimp, pork (or char siu), egg, bean sprouts and scallions. Toss until everything is evenly mixed and the sprouts are just warm, 1–2 minutes. Finish with the sesame oil. 2 min

Why it works

Thin rice noodles absorb water quickly; a short soak just softens them, and rinsing stops them overcooking. Toasting the curry powder in hot oil releases its fat-soluble aromas, so the flavor clings to every strand instead of tasting dusty.