This aromatic, colorful, and exciting noodle dish is a bit of a mashup. I love the curry flavor of Singapore noodles. But I also like a saucier noodle, so I borrowed the traditional coconut milk/fish sauce from Thai curries. Then I threw in some shrimp, Chinese Sausage, and veggies, and Coconut Curry Noodles was born. This dish reflects the way I love to cook- technique and ingredients from throughout Asia, streamlined for today’s busy kitchens. These Coconut Curry noodles have been on our menu since we opened over 20 years ago and it’s still a family favorite.
The Main Ingredients
Rice Noodles
For the noodles, I use rice vermicelli noodles. These noodles, sometimes just called rice noodles or rice sticks, are gluten free, making this an ideal dish for people with gluten sensitivities. People who can’t eat gluten are always so thrilled to have a delicious noodle dish they can enjoy! I can usually find them in the Asian section of well stocked grocery stores. They are rehydrated in a bowl of hot water rather than a boiling pot on the stove. The sauce comes together very quickly while the noodles soften, making Coconut Curry Noodles a weekday staple.
Chinese Sausage
Chinese Sausage, known as Lap Cheong, is a cured, firm sausage that is a little sweet and smoky. You can find them in Asian markets. You can try subbing another firm, cured sausage, but those tend to be spicier than Chinese sausage.
Curry Powder
Use any sweet curry powder blend you like. Ideally, you will use one with turmeric as one of the main ingredients for the warm yellow color and the earthy flavor it adds to the dish. This dish is not spicy at all. If you prefer to have some heat, by all means, add some fresh chiles, some chile sauce, or even a couple dashes of cayenne pepper.
Get Your Ingredients Ready
First we soften the noodles in a bowl of warm water. These noodles will cook quickly in the sauce so you’re just rehydrating them for now. Meanwhile, prep your vegetables, and stir together your sauce. Once you have those items ready to go, this dish comes together quickly.
Crank Up The Stove And Let’s Go
Heat up your pan and let’s get going. Start by browning the sausage. Then we add the aromatics, the ginger and garlic, and sauté until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them, as burnt garlic adds a very off-putting bitter flavor.
Next we toss in the bell peppers and diced onion, cooking for 2-3 minutes until softened.
The noodles should be ready at this time, and we add them to the pan along with the sauce. Stir everything, making sure to scrape any brown bits off the pan. The sauce will start to thicken, and then we add the shrimp. The shrimp will cook very quickly. As soon as they start to curl up and turn pink, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the spinach.
This noodle dish comes in under 15 minutes, and is a complete meal! It’s creamy, a little sweet, colorful (important if you’re cooking for the gram!), brightly flavored with the coconut curry sauce, and a nice mix of veggies and proteins. If you make our Coconut Curry Noodles , we want to know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag us in your photos, @funkyasiankitchen. Show us the goods!
Print
Coconut Curry Noodles
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: noodles
- Cuisine: Fusion
Description
Creamy, curried noodly goodness that comes together FAST!
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons Madras Curry Powder
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 can coconut milk, unsweetened
- ¼ cup fish sauce
For the Noodles:
- 1/2 bag rice vermicelli, Buddha or Hsin Tung Yang brands preferred (about 7 oz)
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon peeled and grated ginger
- 2 links of cured Chinese sausage, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced thin
- 1 medium onion, trimmed and sliced thin lengthwise
- ¾ pound large shrimp, 21-25 size
- 1 large handful young spinach leaves, about 2 oz.
- Cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Open the bag of rice vermicelli and take out half. Reserve the rest for another meal. Place the dry noodles into a bowl and cover with warm water. Let the noodles soak for approximately 15 mins. and then drain.
- Meanwhile, put all sauce ingredients into a bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- Heat a large 12” skillet over med-high heat. Add the oil and the Chinese Sausage. Cook the Chinese sausage until lightly browned, about 3-4 mins.
- Add the ginger and garlic. Let the ginger and garlic cook for 10-20 seconds until fragrant, but do not burn.
- Add the bell peppers and onion and cook for 2-3mins until the vegetables are slightly wilted.
- Add the noodles and the sauce. Mix the ingredients gently in the pan and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and continue cooking until the shrimp are just cooked through and the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, about 2-3 mins.
- Just before taking the pan off of the heat, add the spinach and toss with the noodle mixture. The residual heat is enough to cook the spinach.
- Mound the noodles onto a plate making sure that the shrimp and colorful vegetables are visible. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Keywords: noodles, curry, coconut, gluten free, shrimp chinese sausage
