Singapore Noodles

Keyword African Bird's Eye Pepper

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 796kcal

Ingredients

For the stir-fried noodles

4 bird’s eye chilies sliced into 1/8 inch rings, seeds and all (I like a colorful mix of both red and green chilies)
10 ounces rice noodles often called vermicelli noodles
2 skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced lengthways (1/3 inch wide, ¼ inch thick)
12 prawn tails medium-sized, shell-on (frozen and defrosted is just fine)
4 ounces brown mushrooms cut into quarters, stalks and all
12 canned water chestnuts each cut into four slices
5 ounces frozen peas straight from the freezer is ideal to keep their max crunch and color
3 spring onions bias cut into 3/4 inch lengths - white stems and all the crisp, green stalks
1 red bell pepper medium-sized, halved, de-seeded and cut lengthways into 1/4 inch slices
6 cloves garlic peeled and very finely sliced
2 heaped teaspoons ginger root peeled and grated
5 tablespoons coconut oil separated - three for stir-frying, two for crisping the noodles

For the egg mix

3 large eggs
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
Handful fresh cilantro finely chopped, stalks and all - to garnish your finished dish

For the sauce

2 heaped teaspoons Madras curry powder see notes for alternatives
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin or 2 level tablespoons brown sugar (see notes)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup coconut milk.
1 cup chicken stock

Instructions

The first task is to start warming a big serving dish in a very low oven. The dish needs to be big enough to hold all your Singapore Noodles the minute they’re cooked.

Making the sauce

Stir all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan set on a high heat. As soon as it starts to boil, drop the heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently for 10 minutes, with a few stirs. This simmering is important because it allows the ground spices to dissolve into the sauce – and lose any hint of grittiness. Other than a few minutes towards the end of cooking the rest of the dish, that ten minutes’ simmering is all the cooking the spices are going to see. That’s quite different to other types of spiced dishes where cooking times are often far longer.
Now taste the sauce. Is there enough salt and heat for your taste? Add salt – or more soy sauce – accordingly, But, for heat, remember those bird’s eye chilis that are waiting in the ingredients alongside the noodles. If you’re up for it, by all means add more cayenne pepper.

Preparing the noodles

While the sauce is cooking, put the rice noodles into a good-sized bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them soak for 5 minutes. Then drain them in a colander and return them to their bowl.

Preparing the egg mix

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and give them a thorough whisking. Then whisk in the sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Set the bowl aside – it’s time for some fast stir-frying.

Bringing it all together – stir-frying at pace (in quick succession)

Set a large skillet – 12-inch is ideal – or a wok on a high heat for a minute or so. Add three level tablespoons coconut oil.
The moment the oil starts smoking, tip in the slices of chicken, followed by the garlic and chilis. Stir-fry on that sizzling high heat for 90 seconds. Now quickly add the prawn tails, spring onions, water chestnuts, red pepper, and mushrooms. Stir-fry that lot with the chicken – still on a high heat - for another 2 minutes. Take a bit of care with the prawn tails so that they don’t get broken apart.
Add three quarters of the drained rice noodles, together with the peas, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Then quickly stir in all of the sauce, keeping the heat on high. As soon as the sauce starts to bubble rapidly, drop the heat to medium and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring so that the sauce coats everything.
Turn the heat back to high and quickly – but thoroughly - stir in the egg mix. As soon as the skillet/wok begins bubbling again, give it one final, combining stir and remove it from the heat. Swiftly transfer your now-cooked Singapore Noodles to that warm serving dish in its low oven. You’re almost ready to serve - just need to quickly flash-fry the remaining noodles.

Crisping the remaining quarter of the noodles – quickly

Set the emptied skillet/wok back onto a high heat and add two level tablespoons coconut oil. As soon that gets to smoking, add the last quarter of the noodles and stir-fry them hot and fast for about a minute. They’ll curl and crisp very quickly so be careful not to scorch them. Turn out the crisped noodles onto some kitchen towel to drain off any excess oil.
Fast as you can, remove the serving dish from the oven and top the Singapore Noodles with your crisped ones. Done. Serve immediately.

Notes

Drinks: Why not have a Singapore Sling at the bar before dinner? With the main course, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and soft Semillon is a perfect match.

Madras curry powder is a foundation ingredient in Singapore noodles. Now, you could have a lot of highly recommended fun and make a rewarding batch of your own as described here. Alternatively, pick some up from a specialty store or (for a well-stocked spice rack) use two heaped teaspoons of the following ground spices: dried cilantro, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, and cayenne pepper

Mirin is a mainstay of Japanese condiments. It’s a form of rice wine, like sake, but far sweeter, oilier, and with a slight savory smokiness. It’s a core ingredient in teriyaki dishes and a staple in good stir-fries. If you haven’t got some or can’t find any, brown sugar works as a substitute – especially in a complex, hot and spicy dish like this one. But, if you like cooking South-East Asian food, having mirin on the shelf will really serve you well.

Nutrition