These savory, curry-kissed noodles with shrimp and vegetables bring all the flavor of your favorite upscale Chinese restaurant into your very own kitchen with Delicious Homemade Shrimp Mei Fun.
Let's start with the important news first. These noodles are delicious. That's the headline so let's not bury the lead. Singapore noodles have been a must-order menu item for me for years and it's hard to find a version I don't love.
But in the interest of full disclosure, I must report that Singapore noodles are not authentic to Singapore. I've been to Singapore. I looked high and low for this noodle dish. It was MIA.
However, since Singaporean food is heavily influenced by both Chinese and Indian cultures, it's easy to understand how a Chinese noodle dish flavored with savory curry powder would share a name with this tiny multicultural island.
Regardless of the origins, this noodle recipe is magic. The ingredient list looks lengthy, but most of them are probably in your pantry and spice drawer right now. And as with all stir fry recipes, the process is greatly helped by preparing all of your ingredients before starting the wok or skillet. So I've created easy-to-follow instructions that will make this not-quite-traditional recipe a breeze to make and enjoy.
What you'll need to make Singapore Mei Fun:
- raw shrimp
- cornstarch
- light and dark soy sauce
- curry powder
- canola oil or another neutral oil
- thin rice noodles
- sea salt and white pepper
- eggs
- sesame oil
- fresh ginger
- Napa cabbage
- red onion
- carrot
- scallions
- lime wedges
- red chili peppers
- cilantro
Step by step instructions for Singapore rice noodles:
Begin by preparing the shrimp. First add cleaned and deveined shrimp to small bowl with 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Then toss to coat. Set aside to marinate while preparing the noodles and vegetables.
Next, prepare the noodles. Heat water in a large pot with a lid. Once hot (but not boiling) add the rice noodles to the pot, cover and soak noodles for about 2 minutes less than the package directions, usually about four minutes.
The noodles should be softened, but very al dente. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and drain thoroughly. In a medium bowl, gently toss the thin noodles with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons of curry powder and 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce until evenly coated. Set aside the drained noodles with seasoning.
Now it's time to prepare the simple dry seasoning mix. Combine 2 teaspoons curry powder, ½ teaspoon white pepper and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
The final step before stir frying the veggies and noodles is to prepare the eggs. Scramble 3 eggs and pinch of salt in a small bowl. Heat neutral oil in small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Then pour in the beaten eggs and allow to set like an omelet for about 2 mins (short of browning). Flip and cook another 2 minutes until cooked through. Remove to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch strips. Set aside in a small bowl.
Heat a large wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, ginger and onions.
Stir-fry for about a minute. Add shredded carrots and cabbage, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the shrimp in its marinade and the scallions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Finally, add the seasoned rice noodles, scrambled egg strips and the dish of dried spices to the pan and toss everything together.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Plate the shrimp mei fun noodles with lime wedges, fresh cilantro and red pepper slices.
To store, transfer the stir fried noodles to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions for Shrimp Mei Fun:
Red bell pepper cut into thin strips would be delicious in this dish, and fresh snow peas and green onions are always a good option for an Asian noodle stir fry. This recipe gives you a great way to add whatever vegetables you have on hand to the shrimp and noodles and create a masterpiece. I've often topped the dish with fresh bean sprouts and it always adds a refreshing note to the savory Singapore chow mei fun.
This noodle dish would work with flat rice noodles like chow fun noodles, ramen and even udon noodles. I might have made it once with bucatini, because it was my only starch in the house and I have no shame. Please don't judge.
Shrimp, tofu and even sauteed fish pieces would add flavor and protein to this noodle dish. For non-pescatarians, mei fun often includes roast pork, a Chinese BBQ pork called char siu, tender pieces of beef or even a chicken mei fun.
With all of the protein from shrimp and eggs and the fresh sauteed veggies, this noodle dish is a one-pan dinner. But if you're looking to add a complementary side, I love Chinese eggplant with oyster sauce with the mei fun. And if you want to double down on the shrimp theme, shrimp wontons would be a delicious appetizer.
Shrimp Mei Fun (Delicious Singapore Noodles)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Fresh and savory Singapore Noodles with Shrimp bring so much flavor to a dish that can on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
12 ounces shrimp, cleaned and deveined
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon neutral oil
For the Noodles
7 ounces thin rice vermicelli noodles
1 tablespoon neutral oil
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon curry powder
For the Seasoning
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
For the eggs:
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon neutral oil
For the Veggies
3 tablespoons canola or neutral oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 cups napa cabbage, shredded
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup carrot, julienned
2 scallions, julienned
For Serving:
2 tablespoons cilantro
4 lime wedges
1 red chili pepper, sliced
Instructions
Prepare The Shrimp: Add shrimp to small bowl with 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Toss to coat. Set aside to marinate while preparing the noodles and vegetables.
Prepare The Noodles: Heat water in a large pot with a lid. Once hot (but not boiling) add the rice noodles to the pot, cover and soak noodles for about 2 minutes less than the package directions, usually about four minutes. The noodles should be softened, but very al dente. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and drain thoroughly. In a medium bowl, gently toss the thin noodles with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons of curry powder and 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce until evenly coated. Set aside the drained noodles with seasoning.
Combine the Seasoning: combine 2 teaspoons curry powder, ½ teaspoon white pepper and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Prepare the eggs: scramble 3 eggs and pinch of salt in a small bowl. Heat neutral oil in small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in eggs and allow to set like an omelet for about 2 mins (short of browning). Flip and cook another 2 minutes until cooked through. Remove to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch strips. Set aside.
Stir Fry the Veggies and Noodles: heat a large wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, ginger and onions. Stir-fry for about a minute. Add shredded carrots and cabbage, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the shrimp in its marinade and the scallions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Finally, add the seasoned rice noodles, scrambled egg strips and the dish of dried spices to the pan and toss everything together. Taste and adjust seasoning.
For Service: Plate the shrimp mei fun noodles with lime wedges, fresh cilantro and red chilis.
Notes
Because curry powders come with different levels of flavor and spice, it is important to taste this dish before serving to determine if more seasoning is required.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian
Keywords: Shrimp Mei Fun, Singapore Noodles
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