Masterclass
No, it’s not Singaporean
While “Singapore noodles” are a globally popular dish, they’re not actually from Singapore. This Cantonese creation, which originated in Hong Kong, cleverly incorporates elements that reference Singapore’s diverse population. It combines rice vermicelli noodles, a staple of the Hokkien people from China’s Fujian province, with curry powder, a nod to the large Indian migrant community in Singapore. Both groups arrived in Singapore in large numbers after it became a British colony in 1824, seeking economic opportunities.
But the dish was not developed until the 1950s. After World War II, British navy-style curry became popular in Hong Kong, and innovative chefs at the booming cha chaan tengs (Hong Kong-style diners) sought ways to incorporate curry powder, toast, spaghetti, and other Western-influenced ingredients into Cantonese cuisine.
It’s also worth noting that while “Singapore noodles” use a type of rice vermicelli popular with the Hokkien people, what we call “Hokkien noodles” is something else entirely. In Singapore and Malaysia, this refers to a variety of dishes featuring thick, yellow alkaline noodles, while in Australia, we use the term to describe that type of noodle.
Use your noodles
The main challenge in making fried rice noodle dishes is achieving the perfect noodle texture. With Singapore noodles, you’re using rice vermicelli, not bean thread or glass noodles, which look similar when dry, so check the package carefully.
The most common mistake is overcooking the noodles before they hit the wok. Stir-frying is incredibly effective at rehydrating and softening them; if you boil the noodles for too long beforehand, they will become overcooked, soggy, and break apart during the final stir-fry.
Before frying, you have three simple methods to prepare the noodles:
- Soak: Submerge the noodles in room-temperature water for about 20 minutes.
- Boil: Cook them in boiling water for one to two minutes only.
- Steep: Pour boiling water over the noodles and let them stand for five minutes.
Drain the noodles immediately and let them dry in a colander. This step is important to let the noodles hydrate without overcooking. They should feel slightly dry to the touch before you add them to the wok, ensuring they don’t become soggy during frying.
Cook in batches
This recipe is designed for cooking all the noodles together, but the real secret to a great stir-fry is frying the noodles, not stewing them. A common mistake is overcrowding the wok, which traps steam and makes everything soggy. To prevent this, cook the other ingredients first and set them aside. Then, fry the eggs and noodles in the hot wok. If you’re concerned about handling a large quantity of noodles in your wok, simply divide the recipe into thirds and cook it in three smaller batches to ensure every strand gets perfectly fried.
Unsung heroes
Bean sprouts are the secret weapon for many fried noodle dishes. Their shape mirrors that of the noodles, and their texture provides a perfect contrast to the soft noodles, helping to prevent them from clumping together.
For the best results, add a handful of sprouts right at the end of cooking. The residual heat from the noodles will soften them just enough to remove their raw bite while keeping them crunchy. I also think they help prevent the noodles from overcooking, much like adding a splash of lemon juice stops brown butter from burning.
I never bother to “top and tail” bean sprouts – that is, snapping off the root and bud. It’s a tedious task and something I was certainly never taught to do when I was growing up.
An authentic touch
Char siu (Cantonese barbecue pork) is delicious on its own, but it’s also a key ingredient in Cantonese cuisine, the offcuts used to flavour dishes such as fried rice and Singapore noodles. Its sweetness helps balance the other savoury seasonings, so using good-quality char siu is important.
Unfortunately, some cheaper restaurants cut corners by making their char siu by smearing lean pork in commercial sauce, which is never as good. For an authentic flavour, buy your char siu from a Cantonese barbecue shop. If you aren’t using char siu, a great substitute is lap cheong, a sweet Cantonese-style cured sausage available at most Asian grocers. Its flavour profile is an excellent match.
