“Singapore” Noodles (Curry Bee Hoon)
"Singapore" noodles is a stir fried rice noodle and vegetable dish flavored with curry powder. Right. Chinese cooking technique with a not-exactly South Asian spice mix (there is no curry in South Asia, in case you didn't know). Sounds like the kind of fusion dish that Singapore has plenty of. Surprisingly, you can't find it in Singapore. It's delicious though whatever its nationality. And, for the home cook, tweakable enough so you can use bits and pieces you can gather from your fridge.
Ingredients
- 120 grams bee hoon (vermicelli rice noodles)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 12 to 16 shrimps peeled and deveined (see notes after the recipe)
- salt
- pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
- 1 small carrot peeled and julienned
- 1 cup finely sliced white cabbage
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup finely sliced scallions
- 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- chili powder to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Plunge the bee hoon in a pan of hot water for two minutes. Drain and rinse under the tap. Leave in a colander to drain some more while you cook the shrimps and vegetables.
- Heat the cooking oil in a wok.
- Spread the shrimps in the hot oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Stir fry until no longer pink. Scoop out and transfer to a plate.
- Add the sesame seed oil to the remaining oil in the wok.
- Stir fry the julienned carrot and sliced cabbage with a bit of salt and pepper for half a minute.
- Throw in the sliced onion and minced garlic. Stir fry for another half a minute.
- Sprinkle in the curry powder and chili flakes, and toss to distribute evenly.
- Dump the drained bee hoon in the wok.
- Pour in the soy sauce, rice wine and oyster sauce.
- Stir fry until the coloring is even.
- Add the cooked shrimps and stir fry for another half a minute.
- Taste and add more salt or pepper, or both, as needed.
- Divide the "Singapore" noodles among bowls and serve immediately.
Notes
Thinly sliced chicken or pork can be used in place of shrimps. The cooking time will be a little longer though.
Based on a recipe from The Woks of Life.
