What is Singapore noodle
Singapore noodles, or Singapore mei fun, is a very popular dish in the US. It is made with thin rice noodles stir fried with a rich savory curry sauce and loaded with vegetables, meat and seafood. It is a matter of debate where this dish really originated. Some sources say it’s from Hong Kong, while others say Malaysia. It’s definitely not from Singapore, I’ve been told. Back in China, this is a must-have dish on the menus of all the Cantonese restaurants. So for me, this is a classic Cantonese dish and we usually order it alongside dim sum. That’s why I created this recipe. I want to show you how easy it is to create authentic tasting Singapore noodles that are as good as the Chinese restaurant version using ingredients that are easy to find.
Singapore noodle ingredients
1. Use the correct rice noodles
Singapore noodles always use a thin type of rice noodles, or rice vermicelli. There are two options. I prefer the regular thin type because these noodles have a meatier texture and do not fall apart easily during the stir fry. If using super thin noodles, you need to pre-soak them until tender. If using the regular type, you will need to boil them in water. Follow the instructions on the package but reduce the cooking / soaking time by 1 minute, to get the al dente texture. So they will be cooked perfectly after the stir fry.
2. Flexible protein ingredients
A popular default protein for Singapore noodles is char siu pork. When I happen to have leftover homemade char siu BBQ pork on hand, it’s rather convenient. However, more often than not, I want to use whatever I have in the fridge to fix dinner instead of running to an Asian market to buy char siu. One great option is to use ground pork (I also like ground turkey or ground chicken) seasoned with a pinch of salt. Alternatively, you can also use ham, leftover rotisserie chicken, or bacon.
My favorite way to prep shrimp
For Singapore noodles, small shrimp work better. If you have large shrimp, you can halve them into two thin pieces along the vein. The thin shrimp pieces absorb flavor better and will curl up during cooking for a restaurant style appearance. You will also get more bites of shrimp dispersed throughout the noodles.
Singapore noodle sauce
Singapore noodle sauce includes a few key ingredients such as light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and curry powder. It’s OK to use regular soy sauce, but light soy sauce won’t add too much color to the sauce so your noodles will have a beautiful yellow color at the end. Curry powder is the main ingredient to give the dish the signature taste and bright yellow color. In China, we actually use curry powder in many dishes such as Chinese curry chicken, curry puffs, curry noodle soup with chicken, and braised beef. For Singapore noodles, I recommend a mild curry powder with a sweeter taste, such as Madras Curry or Japanese S&B Curry. Oyster sauce is not a typical ingredient in Singapore noodle sauce, but I like to use it in my recipe to give the sauce an extra rich umami. If you don’t have it, you can replace it with soy sauce.
Mise en place
When you’re done prepping, your table should have:
Sliced char siu pork (or other type of meat you plan to use)Shrimp, sliced if neededMixed sauceMinced garlic, ginger and onionRice vermicelli noodlesBeaten eggsSliced pepperSliced carrots
I like to use some spicy peppers to further spice up my Singapore noodles. You can use red peppers for a sweeter taste. And you can replace the vegetables with other ingredients such as bean sprouts and cabbage if you prefer.
Singapore noodle cooking process
Once you’re all prepped, cooking Singapore noodles is super fast:
Final thoughts
A plate of beautiful Singapore noodles might look super challenging to make at first. But once you try it, you’ll be surprised how easy it is. And you don’t need a wok or a gas stove. I used to have an electric stove at home and I used a nonstick skillet, which worked out beautifully. As long as you follow a solid recipe and use the right ingredients, you’ll recreate the Chinese restaurant experience right in your own kitchen. Happy cooking and I hope you enjoy the dish!
Other delicious noodle recipes you might like
Chicken Chow Mein (鸡肉炒面)Stir Fried Vermicelli with Pork (Ma Yi Shang Shu, 蚂蚁上树)Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles (广式豉油皇炒面)Wonton Char Siu Noodle Soup (叉烧云吞面)Vegetable Chow Fun (蔬菜炒河粉)
