Crispy Fried Noodles Recipes

MEE KROB (THAI CRISP FRIED NOODLES)

Steps:

• Gather all ingredients together before commencing to cook.
• Cover tamarind pulp with 2/3 cup hot water, and crush and break up pulp with a fork.
• Let stand for 20 minutes, then pour mixture through a strainer and press to extract the liquid.
• Reserve 4 tablespoons of tamarind liquid for the sauce.
• Place rice vermicelli inside a large paper or plastic bag, and break into pieces.
• Heat peanut oil until very hot (between 375 deg F and 400 deg F).
• Fry noodles in small batches until they puff up and turn light to golden brown – each batch will only take a few seconds (allow oil to get hot again between batches).
• Remove at once with a slotted spoon, or wire strainer, and drain immediately on paper towels.
• Next, deep fry the diced tofu until golden brown, drain and keep warm in a low oven.
• Lastly, drizzle the egg into the oil in a circular fashion, and cook for around 30 seconds until golden brown and crisp on both sides.
• Remove egg from oil, break or slice into pieces, and keep warm in a low oven with the tofu.
• Combine the sauce ingredients, including the reserved tamarind liquid, in a saucepan, and bring to boil, stirring constantly.
• Allow to simmer a few minutes until the liquid reduces in volume by about one third and starts to turn syrupy, then remove from heat and set aside.
• Pour oil from wok, reserving one tablespoon, and stir-fry the garlic, green onion, and one of the chilies until they start to color, about one minute.
• Add the meat and/or shrimp and stir-fry until just cooked, about one minute.
• Add the prepared sauce to the wok and toss all ingredients together until steaming hot.
• Mound the crisp fried noodles on a serving platter and spoon the sauce over.
• Scatter with bean sprouts, cilantro, the remaining sliced chilli, the deep-fried tofu, and the chopped egg.
• Serve immediately, as the noodles will soften after about 10 minutes.

CRISPY CHINESE NOODLES (RESTAURANT STYLE)

Steps:

• Heat a wok over medium heat until very hot and pour vegetable oil into hot wok. Let oil heat until the surface shimmers. To test heat, lower the tip of a wooden chop stick into the oil; if it bubbles vigorously, oil is heated enough.
• Cut egg roll wrappers into 1-inch strips and gently lay strips into the hot oil, 2 or 3 at a time. When strips start to brown on one side, gently flip over and brown the other side until the strips are crisp and golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers, working in batches. Remove crisp noodles with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

CHINESE FRIED NOODLES

Steps:

• Boil ramen noodles for 3 minutes, or until softened, without flavor packets. Reserve flavor packets. Drain noodles, and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet. Scramble eggs in a bowl. Cook and stir in hot oil until firm. Set aside.
• In a separate skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Cook and stir green onions in oil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Transfer to a separate dish, and set aside. Heat another teaspoon of cooking oil in the same skillet. Cook and stir the the carrots, peas, and bell peppers separately in the same manner, setting each aside when done.
• Combine 2 tablespoons sesame oil with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a separate skillet or wok. Fry noodles in oil for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat, turning regularly. Sprinkle soy sauce, sesame oil, and desired amount of reserved ramen seasoning packets over noodles, and toss to coat. Add vegetables, and continue cooking, turning frequently, for another 5 minutes.

CRISPY PAN-FRIED NOODLES WITH CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES (GAI SEE LIANG MEIN WONG)

Steps:

• Combine the dried mushrooms and 2 cups cool water in a medium bowl. Cover and let soak at room temperature for 4 hours.
• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a 14-inch wok over high heat. Cook the noodles according to the package directions until tender all the way through, about 3 minutes. Strain the noodles and divide them between two plates. Lift small amounts of noodles up and down with chopsticks to cool the noodles and form each plate of noodles into an 8-inch "bird's nest" shape. Let them cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, lightly cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cut the chicken thighs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Mix the chicken and 3/4 teaspoon each salt, sugar, cornstarch, light soy sauce and Shaoxing wine together in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon neutral oil until combined. Cover and refrigerate.
• Once the mushrooms are nearly rehydrated, bring 6 cups of water in the same wok to a boil. Blanch the carrots until slightly tender, about 1 minute. Strain the carrot out of the water with a spider or slotted spoon and place on a plate to cool slightly. Bring the water back to a boil, add the bok choy and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Strain the bok choy and place with the carrot. Set aside.
• Prepare the scallions by cutting them into 2-inch pieces, then thinly slicing them lengthwise. Chop the garlic so everything is ready for stir-frying.
• Meanwhile, mix the oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, and the dark soy sauce together in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside.
• Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 5 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
• Remove the mushrooms from the water with a slotted spoon (reserve the soaking water). Squeeze the water from the mushrooms, cut off and discard the stems and thinly slice the caps. Mix the sliced mushrooms with 1/2 teaspoon each salt, sugar, cornstarch, light soy sauce and Shaoxing wine in a small bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon neutral oil and mix until combined. Mix the mushroom soaking liquid with the oyster sauce mixture until combined.
• Pour enough neutral oil into a wok (about 5 cups for a 14-inch wok) so it comes 2 inches up the sides but not above halfway up the wok. (See Cook's Note.) Heat over high heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• As the oil is heating up, loosen the noodles again just before frying by using chop sticks to separate and fluff them. Transfer one cooled noodle nest into a large spider, slowly and carefully lower it into the hot oil (step away from the wok as the oil may splatter for the first few seconds). Fry for 5 minutes. Flip the noodles using the spider and chopsticks, push any noodles back that are sticking out to keep the shape, and fry until the edges of the nest are crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the crispy noodles to a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe off as much oil as possible; the nest will crisp more as it sits.
• Repeat with the remaining nest of noodles, adding more oil to the wok if necessary to make sure the noodles are completely submerged. Drain on another paper towel-lined plate. Carefully discard the oil.
• Heat the wok over high heat until smoking. Pour in 1 tablespoon neutral oil and swirl it around the wok to coat the surface. Spread the chicken in an even layer and fry undisturbed until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Toss and stir-fry until the chicken is opaque, about 1 minute. Add the shiitake mushrooms and chopped garlic; stir fry for 1 minute. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine around the sides of the wok and stir fry until the wok is dry again, about 30 seconds.
• Add the oyster sauce mixture, carrots, bok choy and scallions. Bring to boil, slowly drizzle in half the cornstarch slurry and mix until thickened, about 30 seconds. Add more if needed.
• Transfer the noodle nests to plates or platters and pour the sauce into the middle of the crispy noodles. Serve hot.

CRISPY FRIED RICE NOODLES

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet to about 370°F.
• Mix together egg, water, rice flour.
• Put batter into a pastry bag with a narrow tip and extrude into the hot oil making zigzag, spiral, or flower petal formations- try to maintain a steady flow to create a single noodle with a decorative design.
• Fry until stiff, then flip the whole noodle with a metal spatula and fry until desired crispness.
• Using the spatula, remove the noodle from oil to a plate with towels or paper towels to allow oil to drain.