Singapore Girl Makes Singapore Noodles: Recipe Using Curry Powder.

Take it from a Singapore girl when she says that the exotic dish, Singapore noodles, was not invented in Singapore.  Walk down the streets of Singapore and you will find Char Kuay Tiow, Mee-goreng, Mee-rubus, Mee pok,--and many names that are even hard for me to come up with phonetically but suffice to say, Singapore noodles is not one of them.

Who invented it?  No one knows.  It could be a homesick Asian person trying to recreate a noodle dish or the clever intermarriage of fusion cuisines.  The lack of geographic authenticity does not detract from this lovely aromatic dish, a meal all by itself with slices of meat, seafood, vegetables and exotic spices.

You can play with the different ingredients but you can’t dispense with one spice, that’s characteristic of this dish—curry powder.  By itself, it’s slightly bitter, even ash-like in taste but when added to food, it brings the food to a tantalizing level all its own.

Here’s a no-fuss recipe from a true Singaporean:

1 packet (16 ounces) of fine rice vermicelli, soaked in water for 10 to 15 minutes

1 pound of peeled shrimp

½ pound of bean sprouts

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic, finely chopped

2 stalks of green onions, cut into 1 inch length

A few sprigs of cilantro, for garnishing

Seasonings:

1 tbsp of rice wine

1 tbsp of minced ginger

4 tbsp of soy sauce

2 tbsp of brown sugar

2 tbsp of curry powder

Salt and white pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok.

2. Add minced ginger, garlic and sliced onion and sauté until light brown.

3. Add curry powder and shrimp.

4. Add soaked noodle, and season it with soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar. Toss to coat well.

5. Toss in bean sprouts, green onion, and sliced red pepper and mix well.

6. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

7. Garnish with cilantro.

There you have it, 7 easy steps and one wonderful complete dish to show for. Not bad at all.

Of course, there are many versions of Singapore noodles.  Here's one with clear, simple instructions.

While you're enjoying your noodles, let's mull over some interesting facts:

Curry Powder: A Blend of Spices

The many ways of using curry powder: http://hubpages.com/hub/low-fat-curry

Chicken Curry : http://hubpages.com/hub/COCONUT-CHICKEN-CURRY-RECIPE