Singapore Noodles (Singapore Mei Fun)

This Singapore noodle recipe (aka Singapore Mei Fun) is an easy-to-make dry curry noodle dish made with stir-fried vermicelli noodles, curry powder, shrimp, strips of eggs, char siu, and vegetables - just like takeout but made in the comfort of your home!

Here's a neat tidbit I learned recently - in Singapore, this dish doesn't actually exist as an authentic local dish. Singapore noodles (Fried Bee Hoon) in Singapore doesn't actually have curry in it as well!  This is more of a Chinese dish, but how they came up with the name Singapore Noodles is still a bit of a mystery to me - maybe because of the fusion of Chinese (the noodles) and the Indian (the curry) flavors?

Regardless of the origin or authenticity, great food is still food to be had and shared and this delicious Singapore Noodle (Singapore mei fun) dish, which can be found at any Chinese restaurant and takeout joint, can be made right in the comfort of your own home and is quite simple to make!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Vermicelli Noodles - When you are buying vermicelli noodles, make sure the ingredient list has rice as an ingredient. You also want to buy the thin ones that are 1 mm thick.
• Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) - Chinese BBQ Pork can be bought at restaurants, but can also be found in larger Asian grocery stores as well, but if you cannot find it, you can make it with our Sweet and Sticky Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork) recipe!
• Shrimp - To make it easier to cook (and eat), we want to make sure the shrimp is peeled. You can pick up shelled shrimp and peel it at home as well.
• Madras Curry Powder - If you can't find Madras curry powder (which is usually found online or at Asian grocery stores) you can also use regular curry powder as well. The main difference is how spicy it is. Madras curry powder tends to be slightly spicier.

What Type of Noodles Do I use for Singapore Noodles?

When you are looking for vermicelli, make sure you are buying thin rice noodles. The ingredient list on the packaging should have rice or rice flour in it. There are a lot of noodle packages out there that are labeled 'vermicelli' but are actually bean threads (glass noodles/cellophane noodles) that are made with mung beans.

Rice noodles should have an off-white color like in the photo, whereas bean threads are usually very white in color and in smaller bundles.

How to Make Singapore Noodles

1. Beat 1 egg well in a bowl
2. In a hot frying pan, add in oil and make sure it is hot. To test the pan to see if it's hot enough, add a drop of egg into it. It should instantly sizzle.
3. Add the well-beat egg into the frying pan and swirl it around in a circle to form a thin layer of egg, like you're making a thin crepe. Cook it for 1 minute or until egg is set.
4. Remove egg from the pan, and repeat steps 1-3 for the next egg.
5. Once you have all the eggs cooked, roll it up into a log and thinly slice it. Use your fingers to separate the strands.
6. Alternatively, you can skip making thin egg ribbons and just scramble the eggs and once the eggs are done, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
   
7. To prevent mushy noodles, it is crucial that you do not boil the noodles before you stir fry them. You only want to soak them in hot (not boiling) water for 2 minutes or until they are soft and pliable/flexible.
   
8. Slice all the ingredients ahead of time (bbq pork, vegetables) and peel the shrimp and set it aside for later.
   
9. Pre-make the curry sauce by mixing all the ingredients in the curry sauce section together, set the sauce aside for later
   
10. In a large frying pan or wok, add a bit of oil and set the heat to medium heat
11. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add in the ginger, garlic, and shrimp and cook it for approximately 1 minute.  Remove the shrimp from the pan and set it aside.
12. Add in the BBQ pork and carrots and cook until the carrots have wilted approximately 2-3 minutes.
13. Add in the snow peas, white onions, and peppers and cook everything for 1-2 minutes.
14. Add in the noodles and mix the noodles everything together
15. Add the curry sauce into the pan and gently mix everything so that the noodles get a coating of the curry sauce and cook for another 2 minutes or until the noodles are soft and cooked.
16. Add in the cooked eggs and green onions, turn off the heat and carefully mix everything together until everything is well mixed
17. Enjoy!

FAQs and Tips

• What type of noodles do I use to make Singapore Noodles? When you are looking for vermicelli, make sure you are buying thin rice noodles. The ingredient list on the packaging should have rice or rice flour in it. There are a lot of noodle packages out there that are labeled 'vermicelli' but are actually bean threads (glass noodles/cellophane noodles) that are made with mung beans. Rice noodles should have an off-white color like in the photo, whereas bean threads are usually very white in color and in smaller bundles.
• To prevent mushy noodles, it is crucial that you do not boil the noodles before you stir fry them. You only want to soak them in hot water (not boiling water) for 2 minutes or until they are soft and pliable/flexible.
• To get an even coat of curry spread over all the noodles, I like to add my curry powder directly into the sauce so that it spreads all over the ingredients and noodles a lot easier for a more even coating.

Looking for More Noodles Recipes? Try these!

• Beef Chow Fun (Beef Ho Fun)
• Crispy Cantonese Beef Chow Mein
• Maple Curry Yaki Udon
• Beef & Onion Soy Sauce Noodles
• Japchae (Korean Glass Noodle Stirfry)
• Yum Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Salad)
• Pad Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Stirfry)

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Recipe Card

Singapore Noodles

An easy to make dry curry noodle dish (Singapore Noodle) made with stir-fried vermicelli noodles, curry powder, shrimp, strips of eggs, meat and vegetables

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Fusion

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

4 Servings

4.5 from 14 votes

Recipe Notes

• Update: I noticed a few people getting mushy noodles with this recipe, and since rice vermicelli can come in different thicknesses, I have adjusted the soak time in the instructions. Just make sure that if you are using very thick vermicelli, the noodles should be pliable after the soak, if it isn't pliable continue to soak it for a few more minutes.
• When you are purchasing vermicelli, make sure you buy thin noodles (1mm thick).  The ingredient list should have rice or rice flour in it. It shouldn't contain any kind of bean starch.
• If you don't have Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu), you can substitute it with chicken, pork (marinated in soy sauce and garlic) or any type of leftover meats! If you're feeling adventurous, I also have a recipe for Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) on the blog as well!
• The main difference between normal curry powder and Madras curry powder is the level of spiciness. If you can't find Madras Curry Powder, you can substitute it for regular curry powder as well

Ingredients

 

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• ▢ 225 g rice vermicelli noodles (½ of the pack of 454g, approximately 3 ½ - 4 cups after it has been soaked)

Vegetables

• ▢ 2 cm ginger (grated, approximately 2 tablespoons)
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic
• ▢ ½ pepper (any color, sliced, approximately 1 cup)
• ▢ ½ white onion (sliced, approximately 1 cup)
• ▢ 1 carrot (approximately 1 cup)
• ▢ 1 cup snow peas (tips removed, sliced thinly)
• ▢ 2 stalks green onions

Meats

• ▢ 12 shrimp (peeled)
• ▢ 1 cup Chinese BBQ pork - char siu (cut into thin strips)
• ▢ 2 eggs

Curry Sauce

• ▢ 3 tablespoons Madras curry powder
• ▢ 3 tablespoons soy sauce (light)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine (or dry sherry)
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• ▢ 6 tablespoons water

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Instructions

Preparation

• In a large bowl, add the dry vermicelli noodles and soak them in hot (not boiling) water. Make sure the noodles are fully immersed in water. I usually just use hot tap water for this step. Soak it for about 2 minutes until they are soft and pliable.

  If you are using thicker rice vermicelli noodles, you may need to soak it for a few more minutes if it isn't pliable after 2 minutes of soak.
• Finely grate the ginger and garlic and set aside
• Cut the peppers into thin strips and set aside
• Peel and cut the onion into half moon slices and set aside
• Peel and cut the carrots into fine matchsticks and set aside
• Cut the tips from the snow peas off and cut them into thin strips and set aside
• Cut the Chinese BBQ Pork into thin strips and set aside
• Cut the green onions into 2-inch chunks and cut them thinly length-wise. Set this aside to add at the very end when the dish is done cooking.
• If you have shelled shrimp, peel it. If you are using frozen shrimp, make sure it has fully thawed. Set the shrimp aside for later
• Once the noodles are soft, drain the water.

Making Egg Ribbons (or Scrambled Eggs)

• [Note: For Scrambled Eggs Instead] If you want to make simple scrambled eggs instead of egg ribbons, skip the steps 2-7 below in this section and simply beat the eggs together in a bowl and scramble it in a frying pan. Remove from the eggs from the pan and set aside. If you want egg ribbons, then follow steps 2-7 in this section instead.
• In a large frying pan, add a bit of oil and wait for the oil to get hot. To test if the oil is hot enough you can add a drop of egg into it, it should sizzle right away.
• In a bowl, beat 1 egg.
• When the oil is hot, add the egg in and swirl it around the frying pan to create a thin sheet of egg (like a thin crepe). Cook both sides for approximately 1 minute. Remove the egg and set it aside.
• Repeat steps 1-3 for the next egg
• Stack the thin sheets of egg on top of each other and roll it into a log and use a knife to cut it into ¼ inch thick strips (or thinner)
• Use your fingers and gently separate the strips and set it aside to be added at the very end when the dish has finished cooking.

Making the Curry Sauce

• In a bowl, add in all the ingredients listed under 'Curry Sauce' and mix well. Set aside for later.

Putting It Together

• In a large frying pan or wok, add a bit of oil and set the heat to Medium heat
• When the oil is hot and shimmering, add in the ginger, garlic, and shrimp and cook it for approximately 1 minute.  Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
• Add in the BBQ pork and carrots and cook until the carrots have wilted approximately 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the snow peas, white onions, and peppers and cook everything for 1-2 minutes.
• Add in the noodles and mix the noodles everything together
• Add the curry sauce into the pan and gently mix everything so that the noodles get a coating of the curry sauce and cook for another 2 minutes or until the noodles are soft and cooked.
• Add in the cooked eggs and green onions, turn off the heat and carefully mix everything together until everything is well mixed
• Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (2 cups) | Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 2488mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g

*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*

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Made with ♡ by Joyce | Pups with Chopsticks

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