These six noodle dishes will satisfy your cravings. They’re quite simple to prepare, and you can use any sort of noodle you have on hand instead of going to a specialist store. If spaghetti is your thing, you can use spaghetti noodles for everything! Why make dinner any more difficult than it needs to be?
Beef Noodle Stir Fry
INGREDIENTS:
2 (7-ounce) refrigerated udon noodles, seasoning sauce packets discarded*
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces beef top sirloin filet, thinly sliced across the grain
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
6 ounces broccoli florets
2 carrots, diced
FOR THE SAUCE
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, red pepper flake and ground black pepper; set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook udon noodles according to package instructions; drain well. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, flipping once, until browned, about 3-4 minutes; set aside.
3. Stir in mushrooms, broccoli and carrots to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in udon noodles, beef and soy sauce mixture until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve immediately.
NOTES: *Udon is Japanese-style thick wheat noodles and can be found in the refrigerated aisle of your local grocery store.
Asian Garlic Noodles
INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces spaghetti
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 zucchinis, diced
1 carrot, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
FOR THE SAUCE
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 cloves, garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste), or more, to taste*
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, sambal oelek, oyster sauce, ginger and sesame oil; set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and 2 tablespoons soy sauce mixture, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
4. Stir in mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchinis and carrot to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in spaghetti, shrimp and remaining soy sauce mixture until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.
NOTES: *Sriracha can be substituted.
Chicken Stir Fry Noodles
INGREDIENTS
6 oz. (170 g) skinless and boneless chicken thigh or leg meat, cut into small pieces
10 oz. (300 g) fresh egg noodles
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
MARINADE:
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
3 dashes white pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
GARNISHING:
Sesame seeds
Scallion, sliced diagonally
DIRECTIONS:
1. Rinse the fresh egg noodles with cold water, drain the excess water and set them aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl, marinate the chicken with all the seasonings in the Marinade, for 15 minutes.
3. Heat up a wok with 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil. When the wok is heated, add the chicken into the wok and pan-fry the chicken until slightly charred and blackened on both sides. Remove the chicken from the wok and into a bowl. Set aside.
4. Clean the wok and heat it up with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add in the minced garlic and stir-fry until light brown or aromatic. Add the shredded cabbage and carrot into the wok and do a few quick stirs. Stir in the noodles, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water. Continue to stir fry until the noodles are well blended with the seasonings and completely cooked through. Dish out and transfer into two serving bowls. Top the chicken noodles with the chicken (and its juice), garnish with the sesame seeds and scallion.
5. Serve immediately.
Singapore Noodles
INGREDIENTS
6 oz. (170 g) rice sticks, rice vermicelli
4 oz. (115 g) boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
½ teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons oil
2 cloves garlic minced
4 oz. (115 g) onion (1/2)
2 oz. (56 g) red bell pepper
6 oz. (170 g) shelled and deveined shrimp
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 oz. (170 g) bean sprout
3 stalks scallion, cut into two-inch lengths
SAUCE:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon sugar
¾ cup water
DIRECTIONS:
1. Soak the rice sticks (rice vermicelli) in warm water, for about 20-30 minutes, or until they become soft. Strain in a colander.
2. Coat the chicken with cornstarch. Set aside. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the garlic, onion, bell peppers and stir fry until aromatic. Add the chicken and shrimp, stir-fry until they change colour. Add the rice sticks, stir to combine well with all the ingredients, for 1 minute. Use the spatula to push the noodles to one side of the wok or skillet. Add the eggs and let cook for about 1 minute or until the bottom sets. Fold the noodles over the eggs, add the bean sprouts, Sauce and scallions. Stir continuously until everything is well combined.
4. Turn off the heat and serve the noodles immediately.
Mamak Mee Goreng
INGREDIENTS
NOODLE DISH
2 servings of fresh yellow noodles
1 small potato
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 ounces plant-based “egg” (optional)
1/2 cup mung bean sprout
1/4 cup pan-fried tofu slices
1/4 cup chopped choy sum (YuChoy)
oil for cooking
SAUCE
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sambal oelek or homemade sambal
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (thin) or use ½ tablespoon if using thick dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Malaysian curry powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup water
DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare the potato: Wash and scrub the potato with a brush to remove dirt. Fill a tall pot with water (big enough to fit the potato) and place the potato in. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the potato (skin on) until it’s fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Drain out the water and once it’s cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and cut it into cubes.
2. In a large bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients until well combined and set aside until ready to use.
3. Quick Tip for fresh yellow noodles: Normally fresh yellow noodles are oiled. I like to rinse it in cold water to loosen up the threads and remove part of the oil. Or you can quickly blanch it in hot water and drain it before use.
4. Heat a wok with 1 tablespoon of oil, then saute garlic until aromatic. Add in the YuChoy and noodles, then toss to combine.
5. Push the ingredients to the side, add a drizzle of oil (if needed) and pour in the plant-based ‘egg’. Let the ‘egg’ cook a little to set then bring the noodles to cover the ‘egg’.
6. Add in the cooked potato cubes, tofu, and slowly add in the sauces. Using a wok spatula or tongs, stir-fry while tossing all the ingredients together until well-combined. A quick tip: Try not to stir too hard or it will break up the noodles into tiny threads.
7. Finally, fold in the mung bean sprouts and cook for another minute or so. If you prefer a softer mung bean sprouts texture, increase the cooking time. Taste test and season to your preference.
8. Garnish with shredded green lettuce, chilli slices, fried shallots, and a squeeze of lime juice before serving.
Kimchi Ramen
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 shiitake mushrooms (thinly sliced)
½ cup cabbage kimchi (chopped)
¼ cup kimchi juice
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons Korean red pepper powder (gochugaru)
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 package instant noodles
1 scallion (julienned)
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium pot, add the vegetable oil and the mushrooms. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the kimchi and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
2. Add the kimchi juice, stock, Korean red pepper powder, sugar, and sesame oil. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, open up your package of instant noodles. Discard the flavour packet, and boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Transfer the cooked noodles to a bowl. Pour your broth over the noodles, and serve with scallions on top.
NOTES: If you prefer, you can also boil the noodles directly in the pot of broth.