Singapore Noodles

Like your noodles spicy?

Tasty, filling and quick to cook – you could even fool yourself that you’re eating your favourite takeaway – but no hidden nasties and far healthier! 

Serves two (easily doubled), and if you're counting calories, it's 275 calories per portion made with shirataki (zero) noodles, 425 made with egg (wheat) noodles, 445 with rice noodles.

I wanted to make something using shirataki noodles, and this seemed like a great choice - spicy, with lots of crunchy vegetables - traditionally made with fine rice noodles/vermicelli, which are very similar.

Bingo! The other half loved them, and proclaimed that you couldn't tell the difference (and he's not had them before!). So, even though my nose is running slightly, from leaving the seeds in the chilli (you can de-seed it if you want to lessen the heat!), I'm calling this a win!
This is a very versatile dish, that you can tweak to suit your needs, whether you use zero noodles (this is an excellent dish to use them in, with all the different flavours and textures, you probably wouldn’t even know they were shirataki noodles – my other half couldn’t tell the difference by the time I’d finished!), or fine rice noodles/vermicelli, or even medium egg noodles – whatever you prefer. You can use a selection of your favourite vegetables (see the notes for a few more ideas with calories per 100g), make it vegetarian or vegan by exchanging the chicken/prawns/pork for sliced omelette or cubed/marinated tofu at the end, and swap substitute ingredients as you wish (the calories are all next to ingredients, so if you want to use extra chicken instead of char siu pork or prawns, you can work out the new calorie count. The calories are for the ingredients as listed, which serve two people).

If you haven’t dared to try shirataki (zero) noodles yet, this is a great introduction – just remember to snip them up into really short lengths and rinse! Don't be put off by the amount of ingredients, like a lot of Asian food, it's very quick to cook once everything is chopped.

Ingredients

• 2 x 200g packs zero/shirataki/konnyaku noodles [16 calories]

OR

• 100g fine rice noodles/vermicelli [356]

OR

• 100g medium egg noodles (not suitable for gluten free, contain wheat) [316]

And then...

• 100g chicken breast cut into ½ cm slices [110]
• ½ tsp dark soy sauce (use tamari for gluten free) [2]
• 75g cooked, peeled prawns [50]
• 50g sliced char siu pork (avoid pre-made if cooking gluten free - my recipe is here, or just substitute an extra 80g chicken if you prefer) [c85]
• 1 ½ tsp oil [68]
• 100g mangetout (snow peas), sliced on the long diagonal [38]
• 80g (1 small, or half a large) red bell pepper, de-seeded and sliced [21]
• 1 large red chilli (de-seeded if you don’t want it too hot), sliced [7]
• 3 spring onions (scallions), cut 2 of them into 2-3mm wide slices on the diagonal, including the green parts (wash out any grit first), and cut the third into diagonal slivers, and reserve to garnish [11]
• 100g fresh beansprouts, washed and drained [34]
• 2 x 15ml tbsp light soy sauce (tamari for gluten free) [8]
• 1 inch ginger root, grated / crushed [3]
• 1 fat garlic clove, crushed [6]
• ½ tsp sugar (optional) [8]
• 1 (level) 15ml tbsp medium Madras curry powder [14]
• ½ tsp turmeric [3]
• 1 level 15ml tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) [36]
• 100ml light chicken (or vegetable) stock (e.g. Knorr Touch of Taste) [5]
• ½ tsp toasted sesame oil [23]
• Optional – small handful fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish [2]

Method
Mix the sliced chicken breast with the ½ tsp of dark soy sauce and leave to marinade while you prepare the other ingredients.

Slice all of the vegetables as appropriate, and in a small bowl, mix the light soy sauce, the ginger, garlic, sugar, Madras powder and turmeric with a tbsp water, and set aside.

Prepare your noodles. If using shirataki/zero noodles, rinse thoroughly, drain and snip into lengths (about 2” – I just snip them in a bowl lots, with a pair of sharp scissors). If using rice or egg noodles, prepare as for packet instructions (for stir frying), rinse, drain and set aside.

Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp water and set aside. Boil the kettle in case you need to add further hot water at the end.

Heat a large, non-stick wok over a medium to high heat. Add 1 tsp oil / 11 sprays, and stir fry the chicken strips for about 2 minutes, until coloured (they will not be cooked all the way through, this is OK as they will be cooked again), then remove and set aside.

Add the remaining (neutral) oil to the pan (½ tsp or 5 sprays) then stirfry the vegetables (bell pepper, mangetout / your choice), spring onions and sliced chilli for 30 seconds, then add the beansprouts, reserved sauce ingredients (soy/madras etc.) and chicken and toss for another 30 seconds.

Add the chicken stock, noodles and cornflour, and continue to cook, stirring over a high heat for another minute or two until the liquid starts to bubble and thicken. Stir in the prawns and pork (if using) to heat through for another 30 seconds or so (if it’s starting to look a little dry, add a splash of hot water), stir in the toasted sesame oil, taste for seasoning, (add further light soy sauce if needed, or if you think it’s too strong, thin with a little more hot water) and serve immediately, garnished with the reserved spring onions, and fresh coriander (if using). Enjoy!

Notes
Other ingredients you could include or substitute in your noodles (not an exhaustive list, just a few ideas!)

• Bamboo shoots, cut into matchsticks (tinned, drained) – 13 calories per 100g
• Shredded Chinese leaf/napa cabbage – 12 calories per 100g
• Finely julienned, or very thinly sliced (e.g. on a mandolin) carrot – 26 calories per 100g
• Sliced or button mushrooms – 16 calories per 100g
• Babycorn/Baby sweetcorn, sliced/quartered lengthways – 24 calories per 100g
• Finely julienned or sliced courgette – 18 calories per 100g
• Peas/petit pois (defrosted) – 68 calories per 100g
• Water chestnuts, sliced – 17 calories per 100g
• Sliced, cooked thin omelette – 88 calories per medium egg, 45 calories per teaspoon / 11 sprays of (pure) oil
• Marinated tofu pieces (e.g. Cauldron) – 227 calories per 100g