Question about asian noodles?!
I got talked into making a lunch for 20 people on Tuesday and they want an asian veggie noodle dish. After searching I found one (several actually) for Chinese New Year that call for cellophane noodles.
I am very familiar with asian cooking but never used cellophane noodles.
So off I went to the asian market today where there were about 70 different noodles. I asked a lady a question about them and 4 women came over to discuss it. I ended up getting something that looks like a wide thread noodle (say...spaghetti width) but it says made with potato starch on the back of the package.
I guess I'm nervous I got the wrong thing. I didn't want anything like threads but something a bit sturdy. Now I'm thinking I should have just went with a lo mein noodle but the recipe said cellophane... ARGH! I don't feel super confident with my decision on these noodles.
So would you go get the lo mein and use those?
Do you boil the cellophane? Or soak? The recipe says soak in hot water and stir fry with the veggies and sauce. The back of the package says boil. LOL.
Thanks!
Answers:
Lo Mien is using wheat flour noodles but the Cellophane noodle (which also known as bean thread noodles or glass noodles) made of starch can be used for stirred noodles too.
Follow the instruction on the packet which usually is just pour hot water over them and wait a few minutes, then drain and use them.
You can still use them to make Lo mien which are usually stirred with a sauce made from soy sauce and other seasonings or try stir-fried style with vegetables.
Green Beans, And Watercress Stir-fry With Cellophane Noodles
This recipe I've tried serves 1 person or 2 people trying to eat sparingly so maybe you would like to add the quantity accordingly.
one 3 3/4 ounce package of cellophane noodles
About 1/2 pound use sliced mushrooms
1 small onion thinly sliced
1 cup julienned green beans (or use another vegetable of your choice, sliced thin)
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon minced ginger root
1 cup watercress (optional)
2-3 cloves minced garlic
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with hot water, let sit for about 10 minutes, then drain and spray with cold water, then drain again. Cut the noodles into pieces about 2-3 inches long (scissors work best). Mix the soy sauce, sugar, and wine together in a small bowl and set aside.
Slice the mushrooms into thin pieces. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet until very hot. Add the beans, onions, garlic, ginger root, and cook, stirring quickly for about 20 seconds. Add the mushrooms and stir for about 1 or 2 minutes until it is cooked. (Slicing it thin will assure you of cooking it very quickly.) Add the soy sauce mix and noodles and cook for 1 minute more. Toss in the watercress and sesame oil, and remove from the heat. Serve in bowls.
any noodle wud be fine. even if u used spagetti and cook it with other than meat,theres the veggie meal! theres alot of type of noodles, they wont know all them.
if u boil, the process will be quicker, as the hot water maintain it temperature.
if u just soak it, the process to be soften is quite long, depend what kind of noodles it is.
just cook it as long as it edible to u.
If the recipe says soak in water, then stir fry, then it sounds like rice noodles or rice sticks. Those lo mein noodles are boiled, I think.
Don't freak. No matter what noodles you use, as long as you prepare them according to the package directions, the result will be fine.