Delicious Singapore Noodles! Stir-fried rice noodles with curry powder, vegetables and your choice of chicken, tofu, eggs, or shrimp! A 30-minute, Chinese take-out menu classic that is easy to make at home- vegetarian adaptable and full of authentic flavor!
She said she usually cried at least once each day not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful & life was so short.―
Singapore Noodles, contrary to how they sound, actually originate from China and are most often found in Chinese restaurants around the globe.
Why are they called Singapore Noodles?
Why they’re named Singapore noodles is still a bit unclear, but it is believed, that a Cantonese chef in China created these noodles as a way to showcase how multicultural Cantonese cooking could be, by adding curry powder.
In this recipe for Singapore Noodles, rice noodles are stir-fried in a wok with vegetables, seasoned with madras curry powder. Add chicken, tofu, scrambled eggs or shrimp! It is a dry-style Chinese noodle dish, rather than a saucy noodle dish.
How to make Singapore Noodles!
Are Singapore noodles healthy?
Singapore noodles are loaded up with healthy veggies that are very quickly stirfried why still retaining their fresh crunchy texture, nutrients and vibrancy.
I prefer this dish on the spicy side, but for younger palates, feel free to keep it mild. Today I’ve opted to keep it vegetarian and used tofu, but chicken or shrimp would work great here too.
Singapore Noodles start with stir-frying the protein, in this case, tofu in a 1-2 tablespoons oil. You can also add chicken or add shrimp!
Set the crispy tofu aside, then stir-fry the veggies, starting with the sliced onion. Then I added bell pepper, carrots, garlic and snow peas.
Other veggies work well too, like cabbage, bok choy, green beans or mushrooms. A great way to clean out your veggie drawer.
Next, make a well in the center of the veggies and basically, scramble the eggs.
Then set the veggies and eggs aside and stir-fry the cooked vermicelli rice noodles
A little tip. After you cook and drain the vermicelli noodles, cut them into thirds so they are easier to manage in the wok. This will help tremendously!
You can also soak the noodles in cold water until tender- see package instructions.
Give the noodles a quick stir-fry, add a few dried red chilies for heat if you like, then add the veggies and tofu back into the pan.
Sprinkle with the curry powder, the Singapore Noodle Sauce and toss everything well to incorporate.
If you don’t have a wok, a large skillet will work too!
If you are wanting to double this recipe, make sure to cook it in two batches. It would be difficult to manage all in one wok.
Serve immediately with chopsticks, scallions and hot chili paste or chili flakes for those who want extra heat.
Remember, this is not a saucy dish, but rather a “dry” noodle dish.
The leftovers taste amazing too!
You might also enjoy:
- Yellow curry powder
- Kimchi Noodles
- Chinese Sesame Noodles with Veggies!
- Pad Thai
- Kung Pao Noodles!
- Veggie Lo Mein Noodles!
Hope you enjoy this recipe for Singapore Noodles – a dry-style, stir-fried vermicelli noodle dish, hailing from China, with veggies, tofu and the signature ingredient, madras curry powder! Yum!
Singapore Noodles Recipe
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3-4
- Category: main, gluten-free
- Method: stir-fried
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
A tasty recipe for Singapore Noodles! Stir-fried rice noodles with madras curry powder, vegetables and your choice of chicken, tofu or shrimp—a Chinese take-out menu classic that is easy to make at home – vegetarian adaptable and full of authentic flavor!
Ingredients
- 8–10 ounces chicken or tofu cut into ¾ inch cubes ( or whole raw shrimp)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1–2 tablespoons wok oil – a high temp oil like peanut oil
- 4–5 ounces vermicelli rice noodles (don’t use more-see notes)
- ½ an onion, sliced thin
- 1 cup match stick carrots, or 1 carrot shredded
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1–2 cups snow peas ( or sub green beans, baby bok choy or shredded cabbage)
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 2 eggs, whisked with a fork, with a 3 finger pinch of salt
- 3–6 dried red chili peppers ( or sub chili flakes at the end)
- 1 tablespoon madras curry powder ( yellow curry powder)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt, and more to taste
Singapore Noodle Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine (chinese cooking wine, or mirin, or white wine)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or sub-gluten-free soy sauce, like Braggs)
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (or sub vegan fish sauce)
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey or other substitutes
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to boil on the stove for the rice noodles.
- Make the Singapore Noodle Sauce, stirring the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set by the stove.
- Prep the veggies: slice the onion, slice the bell pepper and chop the garlic, placing all by the stove, along with the carrots and snow peas.
- Pat dry the chicken/tofu and cut into ¾ inch cubes. ( If using shrimp, leave whole) Heat oil in a wok, over medium heat and add ¼ teaspoon kosher salt directly into the oil. Swirl and add cracked pepper if you like, and when the oil is hot, carefully add the chicken/tofu/shrimp. Using a metal spatula, stir, flip and let it get golden, being patient. Place on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Whisk the two eggs with a 3 finger pinch of salt in a small bowl. Set by the stove.
- Add the onion to the wok and stir 3 minutes, on medium-high heat, until fragrant, then add carrots, bell pepper and snow peas and garlic. Continue stirring for just a couple minutes, until just wilted. Make a well in the center of the veggies, and add a drop of oil, then pour in the eggs, scrambling them and chopping them up a bit with the metal spatula. Incorporate them into the veggies, then slide the whole veggie egg mixture onto a plate, setting aside.
- Place the noodles in the boiling water, turn heat off, and let stand 3-4 minutes before draining ( OR read directions on the package, every noodle brand is different) Drain when they are al-dente. Using kitchen scissors, cut the noodles into thirds or fourths (cutting is important!) and fluff them up a bit, pulling them apart with a fork or tongs.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons oil to the wok, then add the cooked noodles and stir fry them a bit, over medium heat about 2-3 minutes, letting them soften a bit. Add the whole dried chilies, stirring 1 minute.
- Spread the noodles out as best you can in the wok and slide the cooked veggies and seared chicken/ tofu/ shrimp back into the wok and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon turmeric and toss and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Pour the Singapore Noodle Sauce into the noodles. It will smell fishy at first but this will disappear. Toss and cook for about 1-2 minutes, until noodles are almost dry. Taste, adjust salt and heat. Add chili flakes for more spicy. More salt if it tastes bland. Serve right away. Leftovers are delicious too.
- This is a dry-style, Chinese Noodle dish, not meant to be saucy. 😉
Notes
Resist the urge to add more than 4 ounces noodles ( roughly 2 cups dry) ….I know, it won’t seem like enough at first, but trust me, they will double. Plus you want this to be veggie “heavy” …and adding more noodles will result in a bland finished dish. 😉
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Love your recipes!!! Do you have any thoughts on a vegan substitution for the eggs? Thank you so much.
You can just leave them out Barbara or add more tofu. 🙂
Thankyou for this recipe. I Have a vegetarian in a family of carnivores, so I cooked the meat and some tofu separately and added them to the the bowls instead of the dish. Everyone loved it. It was full of flavour and texture, just awesome.
★★★★★
Love it Jenny!
So good! Thanks, Sylvia. Great detailed directions, very helpful, and I agree—cutting the noodles is very important, makes combining them with the veggie mixture so much easier. I used two Hodo brand veg-tofu burgers, sliced, to stand in for the chicken/tofu/shrimp (they browned and crisped up nicely), and scrambled tofu in place of the eggs. Super recipe.🙏🏼
★★★★
Love your additions Lisa- sounds tasty!
I actually rate this recipe better than my local noodle shop. I used a dry white wine as it was all that I had at the time and it was sensational. I used dried chilli flakes for zing and mangrove honey for a little sweetness in the sauce. The turmeric is a nice touch. Thanks
★★★★★
Easy and beautiful.
★★★★★
Incredible, love it! Cannot wait to have this again and again and again!
★★★★★