The Cookbook Challenge Week 16: Crispy Vermicelli Noodles

Posted on | March 12, 2010 | Asian, Recipes | 3 Comments

Crispy Vermicelli Noodles

Theme: Noodles

We love our noodles – fried noodles, soup noodles, cold noodles and of course the instant noodles. Noodles are also the kiddies favourite food. Even my 1.5 year old is slurping up long strands of noodles. It amazes me to see her chomp on big chunks of food when she only has two teeth.

I like the crispy fried vermicelli noodles that are served as a bed in some Chinese dishes. I like picking at these light and crispy noodles just for fun. Deep frying noodles is not something I’m a big fan of but I do like the crispiness of the deep fry vermicelli and decided to make a dish inspired by the Thai dish called “mee krob”. I have not had a mee krob before and I’m using a recipe from a cookbook that is a bit westernised, so I’m not too sure how close my dish comes to a traditional mee krob.

I didn’t want the noodles to go soggy and did not mix the sauce together with the noodles in the photos. My dish looks dry and bland without the flavouring of the sauce. I really love the light and crispy texture of this dish served with the sweet and sour sauce. This dish makes a great snack.

vermicelli noodles crispy

Crispy Vermicelli Noodles
Adapted from The Australian Women’s Weekly – Beginners Thai
Serves 4

Ingredients

150 g fresh silken firm tofu
vegetable oil, for deep frying
125g rice vermicelli
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 eggs, beaten lightly and add pinch of salt and pepper
4 cm piece of ginger, grated
200g pork mince, marinated with a dash of fish sauce, sugar and pepper
300g prawns (remove shell and chopped coarsley
6 spring onions stalks, slice thinly
1/4 cup firmly packed fresh coriander leaves
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 + 1 cloves garlic, crushed
1 fresh red chillies, chopped finely
2 tablespoons grated palm sugar
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Method

1. Drain tofu and cut into matchsticks. Spread tofu on absorbent paper to dry.

2. In a small bowl, combine the 2 cloves minced garlic, chillies, sugar, fish sauce and tomato sauce and vinegar. Stir and set aside.

3. Heat oil in a work or deep pan, deep fry tofu, in batches, until lightly browned. Drain on absorbent paper.

4. Loosen the vermicelli noodles. Using the same heated oil, deep-fry vermicelli, in patches, until puffed. Drain on absorbent paper.

5. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a clean wok, add half of the combined egg, swirl wok to make thin omelette. Cook, uncoverd, until egg is just set. Remove from wok; roll omelette, cut into thin strips. Heat 2 more teaspoons of the peanut oil in same wok; repeat process with remaining egg mixture.

6. Add oil to the same wok, fry 1 clove minced garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add pork mince and fry until cooed. Add prawns and stir fry until cooked. Add tofu to wok and combine gently.

7. Remove from heat; add half of spring onion, toss to combine. Add vermicelli; toss gently to combine. Serve noodles on a serving dish and sprinkle with omelette strips, spring onion and coriander leaves. Pour the sauce onto the noodles when ready to serve.

Crispy Fried Vermicelli Noodles

Comments

3 Responses to “The Cookbook Challenge Week 16: Crispy Vermicelli Noodles”

Mark @ Cafe Campana
March 13th, 2010 @ 12:04 pm

Great looking dish. Keep up the great work.
Amanda
March 13th, 2010 @ 2:01 pm

Looks yummy Yen!
Cookbook Challenge W16 (Noodle) Mee Siam | Addictive and consuming
March 19th, 2010 @ 12:12 am

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