Recipe: Singapore Noodles

During the last few weeks, I've been slowly nursing the sauces I picked up at my last Vietnamese market stop. For this reason (and the fact that I can't get enough noodly dishes in the middle of winter) another shrimp curry makes it debut

Singapore noodles is a dish often found in Chinese restaurants as an inexpensive vegetarian entree. Basically it's like stir-fried rice, but with noodles. It is not, however, found in Singapore. It simply borrows the name based on an assumption that Singaporeans might eat something like this. And, according to wikipedia, "might have originated from an enterprising restaurateur eager to add a dash of exoticism to his menu."

This version here is based on shrimp, but any meat or lack there of would work equally well. The veg here is of the winter persuasion (i.e. canned and frozen) but really anything could be used. The spices and sauces are what defines the dish, and the Indian curry flavour strikes just right with the noodles.

This recipe was inspired by Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express and an epicurious recipe. I must say, this version did the trick of satisfying my Chinese take-out craving without the grease and MSG...and dare I say it was even more flavourful? Hmmm, I dare.


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Recipe: Singapore Noodles

Serves 4 / 30 min's

Eat with Pineapple nectar

1 onion, cut in wedges

1 garlic, minced

2 Tb canola oil

1/2 cup frozen peas

small jar (125g) baby corn

2 scallions, divided by white/green bits

2 tsp Indian curry powder

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

500g (1 lb) shrimp

1 1/2 Tb fish sauce

3 Tb soy sauce

250 ml chicken stock

salt/pepper

250g (9 oz) rice noodles

cilantro

Start a big pot of water boiling (for the noodles). In a large pan with high sides (or, ideally, a wok) saute the onion and garlic in the oil over high heat, until soft (4 min). Add the peas, baby corn, white parts of the scallion, and mix well with the curry powder and fresh ginger. Toss in the shrimp, fish and soy sauces, and chicken stock. Salt and pepper (be careful not to add too much if your stock is a salty one). Bring to boil, reduce and simmer until shrimp are all pinky and cooked through. Add the green bits of the scallion.

While its simmering, cook the noodles for 5 minutes in that big pot of water you had started with. Strain, chop up with a knife while in colander if you like, and add into the shrimp mix. Really work them in with two sturdy spoons so they get coated with the spices. Serve with cilantro.

 

 (Note: even though it's pictured here with a lime, I wouldn't recommend it...when I spritzed some on my dish, I found it to be a pretty bad idea. Disliked it considerably. But maybe someone else would find it delightful.)

Do you have a favourite Chinese take-out dish you've tried recreating at home? Is there one you'd like to see here?

Dobrou Chut'/ Enjoy!
-- Jo