Are Singapore noodles from Singapore?

Contrary to popular belief, Singapore noodles are not actually from Singapore. They are a popular dish in many Chinese restaurants around the world, but they do not originate from Singapore itself.

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.

Are Singapore noodles gluten-free?

Traditional Singapore noodles are not gluten-free since they typically use wheat-based rice noodles. However, you can make gluten-free Singapore noodles by choosing rice noodles explicitly marked as gluten-free or by using alternative gluten-free noodles like rice vermicelli or glass noodles.

Are Singapore Noodles healthy?

Singapore noodles are loaded up with healthy veggies that are very quickly stir-fried while still retaining their fresh, crunchy texture, nutrients, and vibrancy.

Singapore Noodles

Name: Singapore Noodles Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Chinese
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 ( or yellow curry powder); ½ teaspoon turmeric; ½ teaspoon salt, and more to taste; 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

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

Units Scale

8–10 ounces chicken or tofu cut into 3/4 inch cubes ( or whole raw shrimp)
1/4 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)
1/2 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 ( or yellow curry powder)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 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

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Instructions

Bring a medium pot of water to boil on the stove for the rice noodles.
Make the Singapore Noodle Sauce mixture: stir 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, or large skillet, 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. 😉

Nutrition

Serving Size: -Made with Tofu
Calories: 368
Sugar: 12.2 g
Sodium: 550.3 mg
Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
Carbohydrates: 45.6 g
Fiber: 6.5 g
Protein: 16.1 g
Cholesterol: 93 mg