This particular recipe for Singapore noodles comes from The Woks of LIfe.
It’s one of those brilliant, throw-it-all-in-the-pan dishes that deliver big on flavour and texture in a matter of minutes. Springy rice vermicelli, savoury bites of meat and prawns, crisp veg, warming curry spice — it’s colourful, comforting and seriously satisfying.
The key is speed. Once you start cooking, everything moves quickly, so it pays to be organised. Chop your veg, mix your spices, and line up all your ingredients before the wok even hits the heat.
There are loads of variations out there — some packed with vegetables, some heavier on the protein — and that’s half the fun. It’s a wonderfully flexible dish. Got a handful of shredded cabbage? Toss it in. A stray carrot or a bit of leftover roast pork? Perfect. Singapore noodles are fantastic for using up those little odds and ends lurking in the fridge.
SINGAPORE NOODLES
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
140 g dried vermicelli rice noodles
170 – 225 g prawns, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
40 ml vegetable oil, divided
2 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, chopped
110 g char siu (Chinese Roast Pork) (can substitute Virginia ham or Chinese Sausage/traditional sweet Lop Cheung)
3 dried red chili peppers
255 g napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot (about 70 g)
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (can substitute dry cooking sherry)
2 tablespoons curry powder or to taste
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon sugar
pinch teaspoon white pepper
30-60 ml chicken stock or water (optional)
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1½ teaspoons soy sauce (can substitute GF soy sauce to make this gluten-free)
1 scallion, julienned
½ red onion, (about 70g) thinly sliced
chilli oil to serve
METHOD:
Put vermicelli into a large bowl and cover with just boiled water. Leave to soak for 2 mins. PDrain well in a colander then cut into shorter lenths with kitchen scissors and set aside.
Heat your wok over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the eggs, and when they’ve cooked and bubbled along the sides, flip them over. Break the egg up into rough strips with your wok spatula. Remove from the wok and set aside.
Heat your wok over medium heat, and add 1 ½ tablespoons of oil and the garlic. Cook for 15 seconds, and add the prawns and roast pork (or ham or Chinese Sausage). Stir-fry for another 15 seconds.
Add the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok and stir-fry for another 15 seconds. Then add the dried red chili peppers, napa cabbage, and carrots. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, and add the rice noodles. Stir-fry for 1 minute, lifting the rice noodles with your spatula to loosen them.
Next, sprinkle the curry powder, salt, sugar and white pepper evenly over the noodles.
Stir-fry using a scooping and lifting motion to loosen the noodles and uniformly combine them with the spices, vegetables and meat.
Start on one side of the wok and work your way around, making sure to firmly scrape the bottom of the wok with your spatula to prevent sticking. A hot wok is a must! You’ll see the curry color gradually coat everything to create a uniform color. It takes about 2 minutes to combine and warm everything through.
You can add some chicken stock or water if the noodles seem a bit dry. You want everything to be nice and moist but not soggy.
Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, and the cooked egg. Mix thoroughly again for another minute until everything is combined and heated through.
Next, add the scallions and red onion, and continue to stir-fry for another 20 seconds. Plate and serve with chili oil.
