Pancit is a beloved Filipino noodle dish.  It’s right up there with adobo and sisig. There are many versions of it, and this Pancit Bihon is one of my favorites. It’s a one pot wonder filled with tempting goodies like Chinese sausage, shrimp, chicken, pork and veggies; something for everyone! The ingredient list may look long, but it comes together quickly and feeds a crowd. It feels festive, looks impressive, and is perfect party food, so let’s get into it.

Pancit Noodles

There are two styles of Pancit-Pancit Canton and Pancit Bihon. The main difference is the noodle type. While Pancit Canton uses a lo mein style noodle made of wheat flour, Pancit Bihon favors use of thin rice noodles, sometimes called rick stick or rice vermicelli. Rice noodles make this dish easily gluten free (make sure to substitute gluten free sauce ingredients), and the noodles only need to be softened in a bowl of water before proceeding with the recipe. If you are at the Asian Grocery store faced with many types of rice sticks, choose one that is not superfine, but one that is a tiny bit thicker, like thin spaghetti. It has better texture for this dish and will not cook up as gooey as superfine noodles.

One bit of advice: I know it can be intimidating going into an Asian store where everything may look similar and it can be difficult finding help in English. If you are unsure of whether you are getting the right kind of noodle, read the ingredient list. Often the same item will carry different names depending on how it is being translated. Furthermore, a lot of white noodles look the same but are in fact made with different ingredients. So to be 100% sure, read the ingredient list. The ingredient should list only rice flour. If it reads mung bean flour, wheat starch, tapioca flour, or anything else, you are not buying the right package of noodles.

Making the Pancit Sauce

While the noodles soften, I start by mixing up the sauce. Pancit has a very straight forward flavor profile so there isn’t anything too exotic included. It’s tangy and savory from the soy sauce and oyster sauce. White and black pepper add both fruity and earthy flavors that I love.

Set It and Forget It

One of the things I love about this dish is how easy it is-everything gets piled together in one pot and then cooked. First veggies, then meats, then noodles. It’s the perfect set and forget it recipe. I’ve used this dutch oven technique before with my Mushroom Japchae. The secret is creating steam in the pot by adding some water and then cooking it long enough with a closed lid so the dish steams first and then sautés once the liquid has been cooked off.

You can prep the dish, then clean up and get the table ready while the noodles cook away on the stove. I’ve even prepped this dish earlier in the day and left it in the fridge until dinner time. I love the fact that you do not have to cook ingredients individually or dirty a bunch of bowls to put out the ingredients. Just chop and layer your pot with the ingredients as you go.

Prepping the Pancit Veggies

Once the veggies are cut and put into the pot, I mix in the minced garlic, water, and oil. The oil coats the vegetables which helps to keep them from burning and the water creates the steam that will cook the ingredients quickly. Toss everything well with your hands to make sure all of the veg is well coated with the oily water.

Prepping the Meat for Pancit

Now that the base of veggies is ready, I quickly chop up the meats and add them to the pot as well. The key to this Pancit Bihon is to keep all of the ingredients roughly the same size so they cook at the same pace. Because you will not be adjusting the cooking as you go, you need everything to finish cooking around the same time. Also, make sure you separate the pieces of meat as you add them to the pot. Wet, raw proteins have a tendency to cling together as they cook, so if you just toss them into the pot, you will end up with one big ball of meat that’s probably raw in the middle and difficult to pick apart.

Cooking the Pancit

Now it’s time to add the noodles, sauce, and shrimp to the pot and cook it up. I put the shrimp at the very top because they cook very quickly and you do not want them to be tough and rubbery. For that reason, pick large shrimp for this dish. If you only have small shrimp, do not add them until the dish is almost done cooking. They will only need a couple of minutes of cooking time.

Once you have everything in the pot, add the lid, turn the heat onto medium, and cook the Pancit undisturbed for 12 minutes. Trust the cooking process and resist the urge to peek. Every time you open the lid, you are letting heat escape which will not only delay the cooking time, but also affect the dish.

When you take the lid off after 12 minutes, the shrimp should look pink and cooked through. Give everything a good toss with tongs and check to make sure the noodles are cooked through. If you’re using thicker noodles, and they still taste a bit firm, you may need a couple more minutes of cooking time. Put the lid back on and continue cooking until the noodles are cooked through.

I always take a quick taste and add a little salt or pepper if it needs extra seasoning. Then pile a serving platter with the pancit and garnish with the scallions and a squeeze of lemon.

This is an excellent dish for the picnics, potlucks, and holidays; everyone loves noodles! Pancit bihon tastes great hot, warm, and at room temperature. Plus, leftovers make a wonderful lunch the next day too. Let me know what you think by commenting on the recipe, and tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!

Pancit

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: serves 6
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: filipino

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Ingredients

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• 4 Tablespoons neutral oil
• ½ cup water
• ½ large onion
• ½ head small cabbage
• 1 large carrot
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 ½ ounces (small handful) green beans
• 6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast
• 6 ounces boneless pork shoulder country ribs (any pork that’s not too lean is fine)
• 2 ½ ounces dried chinese sausage (2 links)
• 10 ounces thin dried rice noodles (also called rice stick)
• 6 ounces shrimp (large is best so it doesn’t overcook)

Garnish:

• Minced scallions
• Lemon wedges 

Sauce:

• 4 Tablespoons oyster sauce
• 6 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons neutral oil (I like avocado)
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper

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Instructions

1. Soak the noodles in water for 10-12 minutes until softened. Then drain and set aside.
2. Make the sauce by mixing the oyster sauce, soy sauce, oil, ground black pepper, and white pepper together. Set aside.
3. Peel the onion. Cut the onion into thin slices and place into a 5-6 quart dutch oven or equally large heavy pot. 
4. Core the cabbage and then slice it into thin shreds, like coleslaw. Add it to the onions.
5. Peel the carrot and cut it into thin slices. Stack the slices and cut through them again to create thick matchsticks. Place the carrots into the pot.
6. Cut the green beans on an angle similar in size to the carrots. Place them into the pot with the other vegetables. 
7. Add the minced garlic, water, and oil and toss the vegetables together making sure to coat them well with the oily water.
8. Cut the pork into small pieces and then into thin strips and add it to the pot, making sure to separate the strips.
9. Next cut the chicken into similar sized strips and place it in the pot, again taking care to separate the individual pieces so they won’t clump together while cooking.
10. Cut the sausage into small coins and add it to the other meats.
11. Place the drained noodles on top of the meats and pour the sauce on top of the noodles evenly.
12. Arrange the shrimp on top of the noodles and place the lid on the pot.
13. Put the pot on the stove on medium heat and cook for 12 minutes.
14. Take the lid off and mix the ingredients well with a pair of tongs.
15. Depending on the thickness of the rice noodles, you may need to cook the noodles a little longer. Take a quick taste to check. If the noodles are done, continue cooking with the lid off for another minute to cook off some of the excess liquid, using tongs to mix the noodles with the ingredients. If the noodles are still a little firm, put the lid back on and continue cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes.
16. Taste the pancit and add a little salt or pepper if it needs additional seasoning.
17. Transfer pancit to a platter and garnish with minced scallions and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

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Keywords: noodles, rice noodles, filipino, chinese sausage, shrimp, party food

Have some kimchi laying around in the fridge that you need to use up? Try these Korean style dumplings, known as Mandu. They are stuffed with shrimp and kimchi, so they are packed with explosive flavor. And of course I serve them with a yummy dipping sauce.  I even manage to squeeze some noodles into them, and I make no apologies for that. Noodles are life! So what are you waiting for?

First Make Mandu Dipping Sauce

Dipping sauces are half the fun of dumplings, whether you call them potstickers, mandu, wontons, or gyoza. And this one has the gingery, tangy, toasty flavor we all love. A little rice vinegar, some soy sauce, minced ginger and garlic, sugar and toasted sesame oil create a perfectly balanced sauce. Just mix everything together and set aside.

Make the Mandu Filling

I start with the shrimp. Since they are going to be ground, it doesn’t matter what size you use. Get whatever’s on sale! Also, it’s not necessary to grind them to paste; chunks of shrimp will give your dumplings much better texture and flavor.

I use one of my favorite noodles for this, the Korean noodle made out of sweet potato starch. They have an awesome chewy texture, and they are naturally gluten free. They can be labeled as either Japchae or Dangmyeon noodles. (Try them in my Mushroom Japchae). You can substitute with mung bean noodles (also known as bean thread noodles) if you’re at a Chinese grocery store that doesn’t carry Korean products.

Shape the Mandu

I use a very simple fold and seal to speed up the process. If you want to try your hand at a more decorative, but more labor intensive dumpling, I give detailed instructions in the note section on how to make the pretty pleats.

Repeat with the rest of the filling, which should yield about 3 dozen dumplings. (Do you see a couple of dumplings that don’t match in the photo below? This is what happens when other people want to help you! 😉 You can freeze some at this point, and I give instructions for that in the note section. Having delicious homemade dumplings in the freezer ready to go for a last minute craving is like money in the bank. The best part is not having to defrost the dumplings before cooking. They go straight into the pan from the freezer. Add a couple more minutes of cooking time and you’re good to go.

Cooking the Mandu

Dumplings in Korea can be deep fried, pan fried, boiled, or steamed. I give directions for boiling them, which creates a softer dumpling. I prefer them pan fried; I love the crispy wrapper which contrasts with the soft interior, but you do you.

Then I add a little water to the pan and cover it with a lid. This creates steam which helps to ensure the filling is cooked all the way through. After a couple minutes, once the water has evaported I take the lid off and let the mandu crisp up a little bit before serving.

These shrimp and kimchi mandu are crispy, spicy, and make a terrific starter. Or just eat a plateful and call it dinner. It will be our secret. Let me know what you think by rating and commenting on the recipe below. And don’t forget to show off your gorgeous dumplings by tagging us @funkyasiankitchen; we love seeing your creations!

Mandu

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 35 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: makes 36 dumplings 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 package dumpling skins
• neutral oil for pan frying 

Filling:

• ½ pound shrimp (you can use any size since you will be chopping them up)
• 1 egg, divided
• 2 teaspoons potato starch (can also use corn starch)
• 2 ounces dried sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon)
• ¼ yellow onion minced
• ½ cup chopped garlic chives (2 oz. about ¼ of a large bunch)
• 1 cup kimchi, squeezed tightly to eliminate juice and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Dipping Sauce:

• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons peeled and minced ginger
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

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Instructions

Make the dipping sauce:

• Combine the garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
• Stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the filling:

1. In a food processor, place the shrimp, egg white (save the yolk for later), potato starch, garlic, and ginger into the bowl.
2. Pulse 8-10 times until roughly chopped. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the sweet potato starch noodles and lower the heat to medium high.
4. Simmer the noodles for 6-8 minutes until the noodles are chewy and do not have a hard core (taste one to check).
5. Strain the noodles into a colander and rinse under running water to cool.
6. Then put the noodles into some paper towels to dry off the noodles.
7. Chop the noodles into small ¼ inch pieces and add them to the shrimp mixture. 
8. Add the minced onion, chives, kimchi, ginger, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, salt, and pepper to the shrimp bowl. 
9. With clean hands or a spoon, mix the ingredients well.

Make the Mandu/Dumplings:

1. Put the egg yolk into a small bowl and whisk well with a fork.
2. Take one dumpling wrapper and brush half of the edge with the egg wash. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of filling onto the wrapper. 
3. Fold the wrapper over and seal the edges. This makes a simple half coin dumpling.*
4. Set the dumpling aside on a tray and keep making more dumplings until all of the filling has been used up. You will yield approximately 36 dumplings.

Pan Frying the Dumplings:

1. Heat a pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add a Tablespoon or two of oil (depending on the size of the pan you are using) and swirl to coat the pan.
2. Add as many dumplings as will fit the pan without the dumplings touching.
3. Cook the dumplings for 2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip them and brown the other side for 1 minute.
4. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and cover the pan with a lid. Cook with a lid and cook for 2 more minutes until the water has evaporated. 
5. Take off the lid and cook for an additional minute to re-crisp the skin. Transfer the mandu to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce.

Boiled Mandu:

• Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a 4 quart pot over high heat.
• Add 8-10 dumplings and cook for 2-3 minutes until the dumplings float to the surface.
• Scoop them out with a slotted spoon or spider, letting the water drain back into the pot.
• Repeat with more dumplings as desired.
• Transfer the dumplings to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce.

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Notes

*If you would prefer to make more decorative mandu, place 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and then holding the dumpling with your left hand (if you are right handed), pleat the dumplings by pushing the dough with your left index and middle fingers to create a fold and then pulling it with your right index finger, pinching gently to form a pleat. Seal the pleat by pinching it firmly with the right index finger and thumb. Keep folding and sealing 6-7 times across the top of the dumpling until you have a row of beautiful pleats. It takes a little practice to make it work, but keep trying. All misshapen dumplings taste amazing too!

*You can freeze any dumplings you do not plan on consuming immediately. Put them on a tray so they are not touching. Freeze them for 6-8 hours until they are frozen solid. Bang the tray on the kitchen counter to loosen the dumplings and transfer them to a zip top freezer bag or an airtight container. You should cook them straight from frozen, adding 2-3 more minutes to the cooking time.