Indulge in the irresistible allure of street-style noodles, a delectable fusion of flavours and textures that captures the essence of Asian street food culture.
Table of contents
- About street-style noodles
- Ingredients
- Preparation
- Step-by-step instructions
- Pro tips
- Quick recap
About street-style noodles
Street-style noodles are a vibrant and popular dish found in various Asian street food cultures. Packed with flavours and textures, these noodles are typically stir-fried with vegetables, protein, and aromatic sauces, creating a delightful combination that tantalises the taste buds. Street-style noodles capture the essence of street food, offering a quick, satisfying, and customizable meal that can be enjoyed on the go. From the sizzling woks of bustling street stalls to the fusion of savoury and aromatic spices, street-style noodles bring a taste of the vibrant street food scene right into your kitchen.
Ingredients
For boiling noodles
- 1 packet noodles
- water
- salt to taste
For cooking
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp chopped ginger
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 2 chopped green chillies
- ¼ cup sliced onion
- ¼ cup carrot julienned
- ¼ cup green capsicum julienned
- ¾ cup shredded cabbage
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp pepper powder
- ⅛ tsp MSG
- 1 tsp soya sauce
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp red chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp chopped spring onion greens
Preparation
Prepping for cooking street-style noodles involves a few important steps. Here's a breakdown of the preparation process:
- Gather ingredients: Collect all the necessary ingredients, including noodles, protein (such as chicken, shrimp, or tofu), vegetables (like bell peppers, carrots, or cabbage), aromatics (garlic, ginger, green onions), and sauces (soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil).
- Prepare ingredients: Wash and chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, slice the protein into thin strips or cubes, mince or grate the aromatics, and have the sauces ready.
- Cook noodles: Boil water in a pot and add salt. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions until they are al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them from sticking.
- Pre-cook protein: If using raw protein, such as chicken or shrimp, pre-cook it separately by stir-frying or boiling it until it's almost cooked through. This ensures that it finishes cooking evenly with the other ingredients during stir-frying.
- Preheat the wok or skillet: Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until it becomes smoking hot. This will help achieve the characteristic smoky flavour of street-style noodles.
Step-by-step instructions
- Prepare the noodles by following the cooking instructions on the package, ensuring they are cooked until al dente. After cooking, drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent them from sticking together.
- Heat the wok or skillet on high heat, then add oil to create the perfect sizzling surface for stir-frying.
- Add the minced garlic, ginger, and green onions to the hot oil and stir-fry for a minute until fragrant.
- Add the protein to the hot pan and cook it until it reaches a nearly cooked state, ensuring it finishes cooking with the remaining ingredients.
- Add the vegetables and stir-fry for a few minutes until they are crisp-tender.
- Push the ingredients to the side of the wok, creating a well in the centre.
- Pour the sauce into the well and let it bubble and thicken slightly.
- Add the cooked noodles to the wok and toss them with the sauce and ingredients until everything is well combined.
- Keep stir-frying for a few minutes more until the noodles are thoroughly heated, allowing the flavours to blend for a delicious final result.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Serve the street-style noodles hot and garnish with additional green onions or sesame seeds if desired.
Pro tips
- Use high heat when stir-frying to achieve that characteristic smoky and charred flavour. Keep stirring the ingredients constantly in the pan to prevent them from sticking and ensure even cooking.
- Choose the appropriate type of noodles for your dish, such as egg noodles or rice noodles, based on personal preference. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions and make sure they are al dente for a pleasing texture.
- Play around with the sauce ingredients to find the perfect balance of flavours. Start with small amounts and gradually adjust the seasonings to achieve the desired taste. Keep in mind that some sauces, like soy sauce, can be salty, so use them sparingly and adjust accordingly.
- Stir-fry vegetables in stages based on their cooking time. Start with harder vegetables like carrots or bell peppers, and then add quicker-cooking ones like cabbage or bean sprouts. This ensures that all the vegetables are cooked to perfection, with a crisp-tender texture.
- Don't be afraid to get creative and add your own twist to the dish. Experiment with different sauces, spices, or additional toppings to personalise the flavours. Try adding ingredients like peanuts, fried shallots, or a squeeze of lime for an extra pop of flavour.
Quick recap
Ingredients
For street-style noodles, you'll need noodles of your choice, protein (e.g., chicken, shrimp, tofu), assorted vegetables (e.g., bell peppers, carrots, cabbage), aromatics (e.g., garlic, ginger, green onions), and sauces of your choice (e.g., soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil).
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles by following the cooking instructions on the package, ensuring they are cooked until al dente. After cooking, drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent them from sticking together.
- Pre-cook the protein separately if needed, ensuring it's almost cooked through.
- Heat a wok or skillet over high heat and stir-fry the aromatics until fragrant.
- Add the protein and stir-fry until almost done, then add the vegetables and stir-fry until crisp-tender.
- Push the ingredients to the side, create a well in the centre, pour in the sauce, let it bubble, then mix it with the ingredients.
- Add the cooked noodles, and toss to coat them with the sauce and ingredients.
- Stir-fry until everything is heated through.
- Serve the flavorful street-style noodles hot, garnished with fresh herbs or toppings of your choice.