Scissor-cut, stir-fry and ‘a hug in a bowl’: six great noodle recipes
Chop noodles
Scissor-cut noodles became a viral sensation a while ago. They’re simple and fun to make, great for vegans and an excellent dish for introducing kids to cooking. This recipe is incredibly affordable and versatile, and perfect for a variety of dietary preferences and ingredient adaptations. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to get creative with leftovers.
Serves 4
plain flour 500g
salt ½ tsp
water 250ml
vegetable oil 1 tbsp
sesame oil a little
For the sauce
oil 3 tbsp
garlic 6 cloves, minced
dried red chilli flakes 1 tbsp
red chilli powder 1 tsp
cumin 1 tsp
light soy sauce 2 tbsp
Shaoxing rice wine 1 tbsp
sugar 1 tsp
black vinegar 1 tbsp
MSG (monosodium glutamate) 1 tsp
coriander chopped, to serve
peanuts chopped, to serve
To make the dough, combine the plain flour and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add the 250ml water, mixing with chopsticks until rough pieces form and come together into a ball.
Cover the dough with a damp, clean cloth and let it rest for 45 minutes.
Lightly flour a surface and knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes until smooth. Brush the dough ball with vegetable oil.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Hold the dough and use scissors to cut 3-4cm strips, 0.5-1cm thick, straight into the boiling water. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Once the noodles rise to the top, drain them and toss with a little sesame oil to prevent sticking.
For the sauce, heat the oil in a wok or large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, dried red chilli flakes, red chilli powder and cumin and sauté until fragrant.
Stir in the light soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, black vinegar and MSG. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the cooked noodles to the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Garnish with coriander and peanuts.
Kerabu bee hoon
If I could have one thing for lunch for the rest of my life it would most likely be this. This is a take on the best kerabu bee hoon I’ve ever had, at a nyonya restaurant in Penang. It had a beautiful citrusy floral taste I had never encountered before, which turned out to be torch flower; I’ve discovered that a blend of mint and fresh ginger makes a delightful substitute.
This dish shines as part of a larger Malaysian nyonya spread, alongside satay skewers and curries. The sweet and sour dressing packs a real punch, and dried shrimp, which can be easily sourced online and stored in the freezer, adds an essential salty, fishy depth.
Sambal belachan can be found at specialist supermarkets or online – if you can’t find it, simply add 1 tbsp fish sauce to 1 tbsp chilli paste.
Serves 4
fresh grated coconut 150g
dried shrimp 25g
raw peeled king prawns 12-16
shallot 25g
fresh ginger 2cm piece
lemongrass 1 stalk
red chilli ½
makrut lime leaves 10
mint leaves 10
lime juice 50ml
sugar 2 tsp
sambal belacan 2 tbsp (or 2 tbsp sambal oelek with 1 tsp of fish sauce)
rice vermicelli noodles 200g, cooked and cooled
salt to taste
Begin by toasting the grated coconut in a dry pan until bronzed, then set aside to cool.
In a pestle and mortar, pound down the dried shrimp. Toast for a few minutes on each side in a dry pan, then set aside to cool.
Blanch the prawns in boiling water until cooked through, then set aside to cool.
Finely slice the shallot, ginger, lemongrass, chilli, and makrut and mint leaves and place in a bowl. Pour over the lime juice, sugar and sambal belachan, and mix thoroughly.
Toss all the cooled ingredients together, season to taste and serve cool or at room temperature.
Mee siam
I turn to this recipe for a bit of fragrance and ease, often as a stir-fry for breakfast. You can use shrimp, chicken or even just veggies. The lemongrass and makrut leaves in this recipe make it the perfect fragrant rice vermicelli wok fry.
If you can’t track down dried shrimp, use 1 tinned anchovy.
Serves 2
dried shrimp 30g, soaked in boiled water for 20 minutes
rice vermicelli noodles 250g, soaked for 30 minutes in cold water
eggs 2
vegetable oil 50ml
lemongrass 1 stalk, bottom part thinly sliced
makrut lime leaves 10, thinly sliced
red chilli 1, thinly sliced
shallots 150g, thinly sliced
sambal belachan 2 tbsp, plus extra to serve
salt 1 tsp
sugar 1 tsp
carrot 100g, cut into long thin matchstick strips
chives 50g, cut in half
spring onion 50g, cut into 4cm strips
beansprouts 300g
limes 2, juiced, plus wedges to serve
salt, white pepper and MSG for seasoning
Drain the soaking dried shrimp, then pound with a pestle and mortar.
Drain the rice vermicelli.
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt in a bowl.
Heat 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a hot wok. Add the lemongrass and pounded dried shrimp. Add the lime leaves, red chilli and shallots. Fry until everything is fragrant and soft.
Add 2 tbsp of sambal belachan. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar.
Add 250ml of water to the wok and bring to a boil. The water will evaporate during cooking.
Add the carrots, chives, spring onions and soaked vermicelli. Stir fry until everything is softened. Add and toss the beansprouts for the last 30 seconds.
In a separate pan, add the rest of the vegetable oil and fry the beaten eggs into an omelette. Roll it up and cut into strips. Add to the wok.
Add the lime juice to the wok and season with additional salt, pepper and MSG to taste. Serve with extra sambal belachan and lime wedges on the side. Enjoy hot!
Mee goreng mamak
This recipe brings together the best of Indian, Malay and Chinese flavours in one glorious stir-fried noodle dish. My first encounter with it was at a hawker stall in Penang.
Its crowning glory is the fritters – usually prawn or vegetable – which add that irresistible crunch. There’s a recipe for prawn fritters (cucur udang) below, but if you don’t have the time to deep fry at home you can use pakora as a hack – just chop them into quarters and toss them into the wok with your noodles.
This is also a great recipe for using up whatever you have in the fridge – any greens, proteins or other appropriate wok ingredients will work.
Serves 4-5
potato 1, about 150g
red onion ½
Chinese cabbage 2 leaves
tofu puffs 6 (available online)
shrimp fritters 2-3 (cucur udang, see recipe below, or use vegetable pakora)
choi sum 3-4 leaves, or any greens you fancy
egg 1
vegetable oil 1½ tbsp
curry powder 1½ tsp
fresh egg noodles 500g
For the paste
peanuts 10g
dried red chillies 2-3
dried shrimp 6
oil 3 tbsp
For the sauce
dark soy sauce 1 tbsp
light soy sauce ½ tbsp
tomato sauce 1 tbsp
oyster sauce ½ tbsp
Salt to taste
oil 1.5 tbsp
For the paste, fry the peanuts, chillies and shrimp in oil. Blend to a fine paste in a food processor. Add a little water if necessary.
In a bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Peel and dice the potato. Boil it in water and set aside.
Slice the red onion. Roughly chop the Chinese cabbage, tofu puffs, fritters (or pakora) and choi sum. Beat the egg and set aside.
Heat a wok until just about smoking. Lower the heat slightly and add 1½ tbsp vegetable oil. Add the onions and cabbage and fry for a few seconds. Add the garlic, tofu puffs and curry powder and fry for about 30 seconds more. Add the chopped choi sum leaves and fry for another minute.
Add the fresh egg noodles and the mixed sauce ingredients. Stir-fry on the highest heat for about 30 seconds.
Push everything to one side of the wok. Add the beaten egg to the empty side and allow it to firm for a few seconds. Toss it through the noodles and season to taste.
Easy cucur udang (prawn fritters)
Makes 8 fritters
rice flour 75g
plain flour 25g
baking soda ½ tsp
turmeric powder a pinch
egg 1
salt and white pepper to taste
water approximately 90ml
whole prawns 8, cleaned and peeled
Chinese chives 2, chopped
beansprouts a small handful
vegetable oil for frying
In a large bowl, mix the rice flour, plain flour, baking soda and turmeric powder.
Crack the egg into the flour mixture and add a pinch of white pepper and salt to taste.
Gradually add the water to the dry ingredients, stirring continuously to create a smooth batter. The consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Fold the prawns, chives and beansprouts into the batter.
Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. The oil needs to be at least 4cm deep in the pan.
Once the oil is hot, spoon the batter into the oil to form small fritters. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the fritters on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Pan mee
Serves 3-4
dried anchovies 80g
vegetable oil for deep frying
plain flour 600g
tapioca flour 30g, plus 1 tbsp for dusting (or cornflour)
salt 2 tsp
water 700ml
pork fillet 300g, cut into slices
light soy sauce 1 tbsp
pepper ½ tsp
dried mushrooms 50g, soaked and cut into slices
sugar 1 tsp
crispy fried shallots for garnish (optional)
For the stock
water 2.5 litres
dried anchovies 100g in cold water, drained and set aside
sugar 1 ½ tbsp
MSG 1 tsp, plus extra to season
salt to taste
choi sum 250g, chopped roughly (or spinach etc)
First, deep fry the dried anchovies in vegetable oil – the oil should be about 4-5cm deep. Fry in batches for about 2-3 minutes on a high heat until they are just bronzed, then use a slotted spoon to set aside to dry on a paper towel (heads removed) for garnish.
To make the noodles, start by mixing together the dry ingredients (600g plain flour, 30g tapioca flour, 1 tsp salt), then add the water.
Using an electric mixer, mix for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Rest it for an hour under a damp cloth.
Once it has rested, thoroughly dust a surface with tapioca starch and roll the dough into a 0.5cm, roughly rectangular piece. Use a dough cutter to cut it in half and then quarters, then into roughly pappardelle-sized pieces and toss with a bit more tapioca flour so nothing sticks together. Set aside and cover with a clean damp cloth.
Next, slice the pork into thin strips, toss with 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp of tapioca or cornflour, and the white pepper. Ensure everything is coated thoroughly and set aside.
Slice the soaked dried mushrooms. In a wok, fry off the dried mushrooms in 1 tbsp vegetable oil for about 2 minutes on a medium heat.
Add 400ml water and bring to a simmer. Add the pork with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar and simmer until everything is cooked. This will take about 5-10 minutes on a medium simmer. Once cooked, drain the pork and mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and set aside.
For the stock, heat up about 2.5 litres of water in a pot with the washed anchovies. Add the sugar, MSG and reserved cooking liquid, lower the heat completely and simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt and MSG, as needed.
Add the fresh noodles and the greens. When the noodles rise to the top of the broth, the dish is ready.
Pour portions into bowls and top with the pork and mushroom mixture and, if you have them, some crispy fried shallots.
Wat tan hor fun
This is a delicious, silky smooth dish of Cantonese origin and it’s the one I turn to if I need a hug in a bowl. The real star of the show is silky egg gravy, rich with flavour and so comforting to eat with the slippery noodles. C&R Cafe in London does an absolutely fantastic version of this, which reminded me to get out my recipe. You can adapt it as you like – chicken, pork or mushrooms all work well – and for the greens I’ve used green beans and spinach in the past, or whatever I have in the fridge.
Serves 4
vegetable oil 2 tbsp
fresh flat rice noodles (wide) 400g (fresh works better, but if unavailable, cook dried wide flat rice noodles and allow to cool)
light soy sauce 2 tbsp
Shaoxing wine 3 tbsp
pork fillet 150g, sliced
salt and white pepper to season
raw prawns 8, peeled
ginger 5cm, sliced into matchsticks
garlic 5 cloves, minced
choi sum or mustard greens 100g, chopped into chunks
For the gravy
chicken stock 400ml
sesame oil 1 tsp
light soy sauce 1 tbsp
MSG 1 pinch
eggs 3 medium
cornflour slurry (2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water to make a slurry)
Start by preparing all the ingredients. This dish requires timing and preparation for perfect execution.
Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and fry the fresh rice noodles for a few seconds. Add the light soy sauce and 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, tossing until everything is coated. Set aside to cool.
For the gravy, combine the chicken stock, sesame oil, light soy sauce and MSG in a bowl. Set aside.
Beat the three eggs in a separate bowl and set aside.
Heat the wok again over a high heat and add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Fry the pork fillet, seasoning with a little salt and white pepper, for about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Add a bit more oil to the wok and fry the prawns until pink and cooked on both sides. Add the ginger and garlic, and once they are fragrant, return the pork strips to the wok. Add 1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine and toss everything over medium-high heat.
Add the stock mixture to the wok, along with the mustard greens or choi sum. Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat.
Increase the heat to medium and add the cornflour slurry. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the broth is slightly thickened.
Pour the egg mixture in lines to form ribbons. Do not stir for about a minute, then gently push a ladle through the mix to ensure it is cooked. You should get a thick, silky egg gravy at the end.
Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
Separate the cooked noodles into portions and pour the egg gravy over each dish.
Julie Lin is co-founder and chef of Ga Ga Kitchen and Bar, 566 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow G11 6RH; julielin.substack.com
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