Food for thought: GDS-free curry noodles
By Kyra Hoggan
You’ve heard the term “currying favour” (fancy way of saying ‘sucking up to…’)? Well, these noodles will do the trick – all my friends love them. They are hot, though – I recently made them for a friend, and she kept saying her face was on fire (but she kept eating anyway, so they must still taste okay). Feel free, though, to ease up on the heat if you’re not as keen on spicy food.
If I could be said to have a ‘signature dish’, this would be it. It’s one of the most prep intensive meals I make, but still should take only half an hour or so to throw together, as long as you have a sharp knife to expedite the chopping. (Oh, and if you’re new to this column, GDS-free means Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free).
Ingredients:
One package rice vermicelli (I try to buy the slightly thicker kinds, because they don’t get mushy as quickly – the best way to ruin this dish is make the noodles mushy, so ease up on the darned wine this time, woudja? Ferraro’s in Trail sells a nice variety of rice vermicelli noodles).
I cup each chopped chicken breast, pork chop, beef steak, diced into pieces about the size of a large pea (If you’re out of beef or only have chicken, or maybe have lamb you have to use before it goes bad, don’t sweat it – the only meat that’s really essential is the prawns. Just don’t use salty meats like ham).
1/2 package cooked, thawed prawns (or as many as you like, it’s your dinner), tails removed. Those teeny tiny shrimp you can buy at Safeway work nicely for this, too.
2 eggs, scrambled and set aside.
2 tbsp minced garlic (I cheat and use the jarred kind, but check the ingredients first, many manufacturers add soy to it)
2 tbsp finely minced onion (I like red onion, but I also like Nickleback, so maybe I just have bad taste – use whatever kind you like)
1 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger (NO powder ginger, blech!)
2 tsp red chili flakes
I tsp cumin
3 tbsp curry powder (I used medium curry, but the palate uneducated in Eastern cuisine isn’t going to notice the difference if you use a different variety. Just buy the yellow stuff and have at).
I small can bamboo shoots
I can baby corns – buy the pieces or cut whole ones in half
I/2 red bell pepper, half green bell pepper, seeded and julienned (REALLY thin, long strips)
I package (maybe 5 cups worth?) bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
Bottle of extra virgin olive oil (always have this within reach while cooking anything).
1/4 tsp salt
Mouthwash and deodorant, if you have to go anywhere after dinner
Directions:
Get all your chopping, grating, cans open, spices out, etc done before you start to cook – this cooks FAST, and you don’t want anything getting mushy on you.
Throw beef, chicken, pork, garlic, ginger into a couple tablespoons of heated oil (medium/high heat, large wok or frying pan – it has to be big enough to toss all the above ingredients as you cook). As it cooks (stir fry it for maybe seven or eight minutes), add 2 tbsp curry powder, cumin and red chili flakes. Put vermicelli into pot of hot water – it’ll probably be cooked before the water reaches a boil – you want it al dente (still slightly firm) because it’s going to cook more in the frying pan. Drain, rinse with cold water then drizzle some olive oil and toss, to prevent sticking.
Throw noodles into frying pan and toss with meat (I use large tongs with silicone tips, which don’t break the noodles) until noodles are yellow, adding several tbsp of olive oil as you toss the noodles. The yellow from the meat curry should lightly coat all the noodles – if it’s not quite enough, add another tsp of curry powder. Throw in bamboo shoots, baby corn, peppers, scrambled eggs, prawns and toss until prawns are heated through and peppers are tender, maybe two minutes. Finally, add bean sprouts and toss until they’re heated but still crunchy. Taste test – it may need salt now, just sprinkle some on, toss and serve right away.
By the time this dish hits the table, I’m usually already full from taste-testing as I go – the only way to know for sure that you have the right spice mix is to try a bite here and there. And I can never resist the prawns, I always eat a couple as I cook.
Final tip: Serve with chopsticks for an authentic flair (and for the amusement value, if your family isn’t accustomed to them – THIS is where the wine comes in handy again).
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