If the famous Chinese take-out noodles are very popular in American films, the homemade version of them is just as good, if not better. Presentation and recipes.
Like the famous Thai pad thai, fried noodles are a very popular Chinese preparation in their country of origin, but also throughout East and Southeast Asia. The principle is simple, the noodles, once cooked, are sautéed in a pan, seasoned with a sauce of your choice, and garnished with various ingredients (meat, fish and/or vegetables).
What types of noodles to choose?
There are different types of Chinese noodles, characterized by their size, color and composition. Egg noodles are among the most used when preparing stir-fried noodles. They are quite thin, yellow in color, and made from wheat flour, eggs, water and salt. You can also use flat rice noodles, which become slightly transparent when cooked. Very popular in Southeast Asia, they are lighter and easier to digest due to their simple composition (rice flour and water).
How to make homemade fried noodles?
While it is not complicated to find ready-made noodles in supermarkets or Asian grocery stores, it is just as easy to make them at home.
Dough
For 200g of fried noodles (i.e. 2 to 3 servings), we use 130g of flour. First, mix the flour with a little salt. In another container, break an egg to which we add a little water before beating into an omelette. Then pour the preparation into the center of the flour, then mix until you obtain a uniformly colored dough. Cover everything and let it rest for 30 minutes. Knead again for a few minutes before letting it rest for another 30 minutes.
Shaping
Once the dough is very soft, it must be flattened using a rolling pin to obtain a dough approximately 2 mm thick. We sprinkle each side with flour, and we fold it on itself three or four times, like an accordion. We cut thin slices of pasta widthwise, depending on the thickness of the noodles desired, while trying to be as uniform as possible. Once all the noodles are cut, sprinkle them with flour to prevent them from sticking together, and separate them by hand. And there you have it, your homemade noodles are ready.
You can use them immediately, keep them in the refrigerator for two days, or freeze them.
How to fry noodles?
To cook them, they are immersed in a large quantity of boiling water. These are ready as soon as they come to the surface. Then, we fry them in a pan or in a wok, accompanied by garnishes and sauce of your choice for 100% homemade fried noodles.
What topping for my fried noodles?
In China, the most famous recipe is called Lo Mein. These are stir-fried egg noodles made with a protein of your choice, vegetables (carrots, onions, red peppers) and soy sauce mixed with sesame oil.
As with pasta, fried noodles have no restrictions in terms of toppings. Beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, duck, squid, prawns… All meat and fish are allowed. For vegetarian fried noodles, simply replace the meat with pieces of tofu for example. On the vegetable side, the choice is just as varied and some are present in almost all fried noodle recipes such as carrots, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, peas, onions, or even baby corn. They are served with fried eggs, mushrooms, cashew nuts, ginger, and even certain fruits like pineapple. Regarding the choice of sauce, here again anything goes: sweet and sour sauce, soy, curry, or even teriyaki sauce, for example. For the final touch, cover everything with chopped fresh coriander, sesame seeds, chopped peanuts or even fried onions. And to never run out of inspiration again, here are 10 fried noodle recipes that will make more than one person salivate.
Fried Noodles with Vegetables
© Devour Me Blog
Delicious vegetarian stir-fried egg noodles made with carrots, spring onions and cabbage, all seasoned with dark soy sauce.
Discover the recipe here
Hokkien mee fried noodles
© Maggie Zhu from the Omnivores cook book blog
We opt for these Hokkien mee style fried noodles with chicken and crunchy vegetables. A delight!
Discover the recipe here
Spicy Sichuanese Stir-Fried Noodles
© Jamie from the blog Drive me hungry
The sauce for these fried noodles is so tasty that you don’t even notice the absence of toppings, even though it is entirely possible to add some later.
Discover the recipe here
Lo Mein Fried Egg Noodles
© Nagi from the Recipe tineats blog
The famous recipe for Lo Mein style fried noodles with chicken, for a tasting according to the rules of the art.
Discover the recipe here
Stir-fried noodles with beef and broccoli
© Samuel Joubert from the blog Le coup de grace
These noodles fried with soy sauce and grilled sesame oil are the ideal recipe for a simple and complete meal that you never get tired of.
Discover the recipe here
Vegan noodles fried with vegetables
© Michaela from the ElaVegan blog
Ready in just 25 minutes, these vegan noodles fried with carrot, mushrooms, red peppers and zucchini are delicious.
Discover the recipe here
Fried Noodles Au Boeuf
© Maggie Zhu from the Omnivores cook book blog
It’s hard to resist these slightly crispy fried noodles with beef and their Shaoxing rice wine and soy sauce.
Discover the recipe here
Cantonese fried noodles
© Sarah from the blog The woks of life
We slip bean sprouts, green onions, and a little soy sauce into our fried noodles for a vegetarian recipe that takes us on a journey to southern China.
Discover the recipe here
For Fried Noodles Shrimp
© From the blog Maryse et cocotte
The secret of this recipe? Grated ginger slipped into the soy sauce for fried noodles to die for.
Discover the recipe here
Fried noodles with coconut milk
© Clémentine from the Amande Basilic blog
Coconut milk subtly flavors these noodles fried with curry, vegetables and mushrooms.
Discover the recipe here