Singapore noodles

Dry with a punch of curry flavour, this noodle dish is a stalwart of the Asian takeaway food scene. It’s also simple to make at home; the trick is soaking the noodles in cold water so they’re never overdone.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 125 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
• 100 g snake beans, cut into 3 cm lengths
• 250 g green prawns, cleaned and peeled, tails intact (see Note)
• 1 red capsicum, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1½ tbsp Madras curry powder, mixed with 2 tbsp water to form a paste
• 300 g rice vermicelli noodles, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, drained
• 160 g (2 cups) bean sprouts
• 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
• coriander leaves and lime wedges, to serve

Instructions

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok, heavy-based frying pan or skillet with high sides until hot. Add beans, reduce heat to medium–high and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until charred. Transfer beans to a large bowl and set aside. Add prawns to pan, stir-frying for 1 minute or until curled, slightly opaque and pink. Transfer to bowl with beans.

Add 2 tbsp oil to wok or pan and stir-fry capsicum and onion for 3 minutes or until tender. Transfer to bowl with beans.

Reduce heat to medium–low, pour eggs into pan, swirling around to coat sides of wok or pan to create a thin omelette. Cook for 2 minutes or until just cooked. Transfer omelette to a chopping board, roll it up and cut into thin slices. Set aside.

Add remaining 65 ml oil to wok or pan, then add curry paste and noodles, stir-frying over medium heat until completely combined. Add bean sprouts and reserved prawn and bean mixture, stir-frying for 5 minutes or until noodles are just cooked. Add omelette slices, pour over soy sauce, then divide among bowls. Scatter coriander over noodles and serve with lime wedges on the side. 

Note

• To peel prawns, first remove the head. Peel the shells with the legs and, if removing the tail, squeeze it and pull it gently from the body. To remove the digestive tract, using a sharp knife, score down the back to expose the dark ‘vein’ and pull it out (this is frequently described in recipes as ‘deveining’). To remove the digestive tract without cutting along the back of the prawn, carefully pull out the vein through the opening at the head.

Photography Chris Chen

For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.