Easy Curry Recipes - Curry Noodles

People in India usually eat curry with rice or naan bread. In Southeast Asia, we love to have our curry with rice or noodles. What I like most about noodle curry is that it is a convenient and filling one-dish meal. There is no need to make rice or bread to go with it. Southeast Asian countries have so many curry noodle recipes that are influenced by Indian curry but tweaked into their own unique flavors. Here are some of the best:

This so-called "Singapore" curry dish is actually not a well-known native recipe in Singapore. In fact, it is usually served in Chinese restaurants that also feature a wide selection of dumplings and other lunchtime appetizers. Then why do we call it Singapore curry noodles? It is because this savory dish is a perfect fusion of Chinese, Indian and Malay cooking, which is the famous culinary style of Singapore.

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

4 oz. thin, dried rice noodles

6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

2 tbsps vegetable oil

1 tsp Asian chili oil

2 celery stalks, diagonally sliced

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup bean sprouts

1/2 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tbsps.curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chicken broth

Preparation

• Put noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Drain when the noodles are softened. Cut the noodles to make them shorter and easier to stir fry. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat.
• Add garlic, bell pepper, onion, bean sprouts and celery. Stir fry for about 1 minute or until they start to get softer.
• Add chicken and chili oil. Stir fry until chciken is completely cooked. Remove from skillet. Set aside.
• Put the remaining vegetable oil in the skillet. Stir in noodles.
• Add chicken broth. Cook for about 2 minutes. Toss well so that noodles will evenly absorb the flavor from the broth.
• Lower the heat to medium. Put the chicken mixture back in the skillet.
• Add curry powder and salt. Toss thoroughly for about 1 - 2 minutes. Serve on a large platter.

This curry noodle soup is also known as "laksa curry". In Malaysia, they make it with fresh rice noodles called laksa. Here in California, however, laksa noodles are pretty hard to find, so I substitute them with dried rice noodles instead. Actually, you can make your own version of laksa curry with any kind of noodles or pasta.

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

4 oz thin dried rice noodles

1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsps red curry paste

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

2 tbsps lime juice

1 can (14 oz) coconut milk

1 cup water

handful of fresh basil leaves

Preparation

• Combine turmeric and shrimp in a bowl. Make sure the turmeric coats the shrimp evenly. Set aside.
• In a deep skillet, heat half of the coconut milk over medium heat. Bring to a boil.Stir frequently. Cook for about 2 - 3 minutes until coconut milk starts to get thickened.
• Turn the heat down to low. Add curry paste and garlic. Cook until well blended and fragrant.
• Add the rest of the coconut milk, water, salt and sugar. Turn the heat up to medium and bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir often.
• Stir in noodles. Bring to a boil again.
• Stir in shrimp. Cook until shrimp are completely cooked and noodles are softened. Stir occasionally.
• Lower the heat. Add bean sprouts and cook until they start to wilt. Add lime juice.
• Serve in a soup bowl. Garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves.

Kao Soi (also spelled Khao Soy) is a popular curry dish in the north of Thailand. Sometimes people call it "Chiang Mai noodles" after the famous northern town. The interesting thing about this recipe is that it uses noodles to garnish noodles! A golden nest of crispy fried noodles is placed on top of this spicy noodle curry, as a way to create a variety of texture and fancy display.

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

4 oz fresh Chinese wheat noodles

2 tbsps red curry paste

6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 can (14 oz) coconut milk

2 tbsps fish sauce

2 tsps ground turmeric

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsps vegetable oil

2 tbsps lime juice

1/2 cup chopped shallots

1 cup water

handful of chopped cilantro and green onions

For crispy noodle (optional garnish)

handful of Chinese wheat noodles

2 cups vegetable oil

Preparation

• Heat 2 tbsps vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium heat.
• Add curry paste and cook until the spices release their fragrance.
• Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
• Stir in coconut milk, water, sugar, turmeric, lime juice and fish sauce. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, boil noodles in hot water for about 2 -3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Remove curry from heat. Add noodles. Sprinkle shallots, cilantro, green onions and crispy noodles on top.
• To make crispy noodles for garnishing, deep fry a handful (or more)of noodles in 2 cups vegetable oil.