~Cracks_de_Rainbowz~

Singapore noodles..?

Haha yes "Singapore Noodles" ever heard of it before? I still remember how shocked was I when I first saw it on the menu in the restaurants in Melb How can there be such a dish which I've certainly not ever tasted before in Spore?! I ate it for my first time in a yum cha lunch during orientation last yr and my first impression of it: noodles with curry powder. The noodles were very yellow in colour and it tasted really dry..certainly didn't appeal to me. I did taste better ones at some other places (from friends' orders coz don't want to pay 10 bucks for fear of reliving the same taste :p) so maybe just that yum cha place just didn't cook it well enough. Have always wondered how it came about and what it's actually made up of. Chanced upon this student budget recipe blog and realised that there's an entry on it!


It mentions that it's modelled after Punggol Mee Goreng. Punggol, being near the sea shore and known for its fresh seafood while Mee Goreng means fried noodles of the mamak variety. Hence, it is something like Indian-style fried noodles with seafood.


Not sure if that's accurate so tried googling it and read from another source that in fact, there's many many theories about its origin, though the main one was that "it was invented in the late seventies by Chinese restaurants in Europe whereby they combine Malaysian, Indian and Chinese aspects, making them a bomb to the palate and an overall fiery exotic dish".


"Singapore noodles, a common dish featuring fried chow mein flavoured with yellow curry powder available in some Chinese restaurants in Canada and the United States, cannot be found in Singapore." from Wikipedia

Seems like having dishes named after a country but not being found in those particular countries are quite common after all :p

"Singapore noodles" exist in the same universe as do "English" muffins and "Danish" pastries-- foods named in honor of countries but which are unknown to citizens within those respective countries. Outside Singapore though, this tasty concoction is well-known and is said to be illustrative of the Lion City's multi-cultural heritage. There are Chinese, Malay and Indian culinary influences all served to you on one plate!" from The Straits Cafe

Sounds tempting? haha care to try concocting it? Here's how as extracted from Straits Cafe. I have never tried though hmm maybe I should... when the inspiration comes :)

• Makes 4 servings - 1/2 lb Rice vermicelli

SAUCE:

• 1/2 Cup Chicken stock
• 2 Tbs Oyster sauce
• 2 Tbs Soy sauce
• 1 Tbs Sugar
• 1 Tbs Sesame oil
• 1 Tbs Rice wine
• 2 tsp Corn starch
• 1/2 lb Raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1 Tbs Peanut oil
• 3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Tbs Ginger root, minced
• 3 Spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 Tbs Curry powder
• 1 Onion, cut into eighths
• 1 Carrot, grated
• 1 Red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp Crushed red pepper
• 1/4 Cup Bean sprouts, washed & trimmed
• 1/2 Cup Snow peas, trimmed

Combine the sauce ingredients (chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, rice wine & corn starch) together in a small bowl. Mix well, then set aside.Heat wok over high heat. When hot, add the peanut oil and swirl to cover bottom. Stir-fry the garlic, ginger and spring onions until fragrant-- about 30 seconds. Add the curry powder; cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Next add the onion wedges, grated carrot, sliced red pepper and crushed red pepper. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, until the onions become translucent.Add the shrimp. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil. Stir-fry for about 1-1/2 minutes, until shrimp have turned opaque and pink. Add the bean sprouts, snow peas and vermicelli. Toss to combine with the other wok ingredients. Continue cooking on high for about 2 minutes, occasionally tossing the ingredients, until everything is heated through.

Labels: food

posted by i was here ;) @ 12:47 AM