Singapore Noodles!

Delicious Singapore Noodles! Stir-fried rice noodles with 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!

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.― Brian Andreas

Singapore Noodles, contrary to how they sound, actually originate from China and are most often found on Chinese take-out menus around the globe.

Why they’re named Singapore noodles is still bit unclear, but rumor has it, a Cantonese chef 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 or shrimp! It is a dry-style Chinese noodle dish, rather than a saucy noodle dish. 

How to make Singapore Noodles!

The veggies are very quickly seared and still retain their fresh crunchy texture and vibrancy which I really love. 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. You can also use chicken or 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 some eggs.

Then set the veggies and eggs aside and stir-fry the 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!

Give them 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.

The leftovers taste amazing too!

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

★★★★★

5 from 25 reviews

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!

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 3-4 1x
• Category: main, gluten-free
• Method: stir-fried
• Cuisine: Chinese

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

1. 8–10 ounces chicken or tofu cut into ¾ inch cubes ( or whole raw shrimp)
2. ¼ teaspoon salt
3. 1–2 tablespoons wok oil – a high temp oil like peanut or coconut oil
4. 4–5 ounces vermicelli rice noodles ( don’t use more-see notes)
5. ½ an onion, sliced thin
6. 1 cup match stick carrots, or 1 carrot shredded
7. 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
8. 1–2 cups snow peas ( or sub green beans, baby bok choy or shredded cabbage)
9. 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
10. 2 eggs, whisked with a fork, with a 3 finger pinch of salt
11. 3–6 dried red chili peppers ( or sub chili flakes at the end)
12. 1  tablespoon madras curry powder ( yellow curry powder)
13. ½ teaspoon turmeric
14. ½ teaspoon salt, and more to taste

Singapore Noodle Sauce:

1. 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine ( chinese cooking wine, or mirin, or white wine)
2. 1 teaspoon sesame oil
3. 1 teaspoon soy sauce ( or sub-gluten-free soy sauce, like Braggs)
4. 1 teaspoon fish sauce ( or sub vegan fish sauce)
5. 1 teaspoon sugar or honey or other substitutes

Instructions

1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil on the stove for the rice noodles.
2. Make the  Singapore Noodle Sauce, stirring the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set by the stove.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Whisk the two eggs with a 3 finger pinch of salt in a small bowl. Set by the stove.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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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