Quick & Easy Chinese (38 page)
Read Quick & Easy Chinese Online
Authors: Nancie McDermott
Singapore noodles provide an intermezzo to the tiny dumplings and tasty buns offered from carts in dim sum restaurants and are often available at other Chinese restaurants for the asking, even if they’re not listed on the menu. This recipe makes a beautiful pile of tasty noodles, curry-golden and boasting plump pink shrimp and svelte green pepper strips to complete the colorful picture. You need only a few ingredients and a quick turn in a hot pan to cook it. If you like spicy heat, use a hot curry powder. You could also add a spoonful of chili-garlic sauce to the chicken-broth mixture, or provide hot sauce at the table when you serve the noodles.
One 6-ounce package dried thin rice noodles (see Note, page 150)
⅔ cup chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces fresh shiitake or small button mushrooms
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup chopped onion
1¼ cups thinly sliced green bell pepper
SERVES
2
TO
4
NOTE
You may find the 6-ounce packages of dried rice noodles in the Asian section of your supermarket, as I do, along with bean thread noodles and other Asian noodle varieties. Alternatively, check Asian markets or mail-order sources (see page 182) and stock up, since these keep for a long time, just like spaghetti on your pantry shelf
.
Soften the dried rice noodles by dropping them into a large saucepan of boiling water. Remove from the heat at once and let stand 5 minutes, until softened and flexible but not yet tender enough to eat. Stir occasionally to separate the noodles. Drain, rinse, and drain again. Transfer to a medium bowl and place by the stove.
In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, curry powder, soy sauce, and salt, and stir well to dissolve the curry powder and salt.
For shiitake mushrooms, trim away and discard their stems, and slice the caps into slender strips. (If using button mushrooms, slice them thinly lengthwise.) Set a medium bowl by the stove to hold the shrimp and vegetables during the cooking.
Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the pan.
Add the garlic and toss until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the shrimp and spread them out into a single layer. Let them cook briefly, then toss well. Cook, tossing often, until the shrimp are firm, pink all over, and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the reserved bowl and set aside.
Add the onion, green peppers, and mushrooms and toss well. Cook, tossing often, until everything is shiny, tender, and fragrant, about 1 minute more. Scoop the vegetables out of the pan and into the bowl with the shrimp.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl to coat it well. Add the noodles and toss well until they just begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock mixture, pouring it in around the sides of the pan, and then toss well.
Return the shrimp and vegetables to the noodles in the pan and cook, tossing often, until the noodles are golden, tender, and evenly seasoned. Transfer to a serving platter, arranging a few shrimp, green peppers, and shiitake mushrooms on top of the noodles. Serve hot or warm.