If I ever go to a Chinese Restaurant Buffet I always try the Singapore noodles. I love the flavors of curry with the vegetables and rice sticks. I decided to conquer this dish at home and made it last night for dinner. I used extra thin egg noodles instead of rice sticks and it came out great. The best part is I only used 2Tbs of oil for the entire wok. Can you say the same about the restaurant noodles? I'm a big believer of making your own take out at home-- not only does it cost a fraction of the price, but you can control the quality and nutrition too.
Ingredients:
1 (12oz) package of extra thin egg noodles (see note)
1lb of cleaned raw shrimp (frozen is fine)
2 cloves of garlic grated
2Tbs of ginger grated
1 medium onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 red bell pepper chopped (or red chilies)
1 serrano or green chili sliced
1 bunch of scallions (white and green parts)
1 cup of frozen green peas
1 tsp of red chili flakes (or to taste)
1-2 Tbs of Vietnamese Curry powder (see note)
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1-2 Tbs of of fish sauce
Notes on noodles:
Traditionally rice sticks are used for this dish. I decided to go with an extra thin egg noodle. You can also substitute thin spaghetti. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Be careful not to overcook the pasta (you want it just shy of al dente). These noodles cooked in boiling water for 4 minutes. I rinsed them with cold water after draining them to stop the cooking process. I also did not salt the noodles because I wanted them to absorb the soy sauce and fish sauce later that salt the dish.
Notes on the curry powder: The curry powder is the main flavoring to the dish so it is important to get a right kind. You cannot use any Indian type curry powder because it will not flavor the dish properly. I actually used a Vietnamese brand of curry powder because it delivered the right balance of spices. If you cannot buy Vietnamese curry powder, try Chinese. If that is not available try Madras curry powder. I have provided a link below on how to make Vietnamese curry powder:
How to make Vietnamese Curry Powder Link
Directions:
In a large wok or frying pan, heat 2Tbs of canola oil. Add your chopped onions, scallion whites and peppers. Stir Fry for 2-3 minutes.
Next add your ginger and garlic and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. I actually used 2 Tbs of my pre-made ginger-garlic paste. For the recipe:
ginger-garlic-paste
Next add your curry powder and red chili flakes. I suggest you start with 1Tbs of curry powder. Once the flavors bloom, taste and see if you think you need more. I added 2Tbs total.
Next add your shrimp and frozen peas. Stir fry until the shrimp start to pink up and become almost cooked through.
Next add your soy sauce and fish sauce. If you do not have fish sauce add more soy sauce. I personally like the combination of both flavors. Now the fish and soy sauce are the "salt" in your dish. So I suggest use season with them according to your taste. Also add some of the scallion greens here. Leave a few pieces for garnish.
Add your cooked noodles to the pan and toss with all the ingredients. Toss for a few minutes. Taste for seasoning and if everything is fine, your dish is done.
Enjoy. Garnish with remaining scallions greens.
