Stir-Fried Vegetarian Singapore Rice Noodles

Hot, savory breakfast is the norm in Asia. Instead of toast and cereal, people in Asia indulge in rice, soups, noodles and even spicy curry for breakfast! In Singapore, a popular breakfast dish is fried rice noodles (or bee hoon). The perfect place to find them is at hawker centers where there will be stalls selling rice noodles with various sides like sunny side up eggs, vegetables, spam and even fried chicken!

Rice noodles aren’t just for breakfast though. It’s also a party food that people like to bring to pot lucks, especially if it’s a BBQ party. It’s very easy to make and you can certainly substitute with whatever Asian veggies you enjoy. You can also add chicken, pork or shrimp to make it non-vegetarian.

Stir-Fried Vegetarian Singapore Rice Noodles

Serves 4-6

• 200g (7 oz) packet dried thin rice noodles (vermicelli)
• 1 packet firm tofu, drained and cut into ½ inch thick squares
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 small shallots (1.5 tablespoons minced)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups cabbage sliced into strips
• 5 cups grated carrots
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce*
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
• Salt & pepper to taste

*You can find dark soy sauce in Asian grocery stores or just substitute with light soy sauce.

Soak the rice noodles in a large container of room temperature water until they’re soft. Then drain the water and set the noodles aside.

While the noodles are soaking in water, sprinkle a pinch or two of salt and pepper on the tofu slices. Heat up the vegetable oil in a large pan and spread the tofu slices so that they’re not overlapping. Pan fry each side over medium heat until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Using the same large pan or a large wok, start by heating up a little more vegetable oil in medium-high heat. Stir in the shallots and garlic and fry until fragrant, then add the cabbage. Fry for a minute or two until the cabbage is almost cooked. Add the rice noodles and mix everything together. Add the grated carrots and use chopsticks to ensure even distribution of carrots to the rice noodles.

In a bowl, whisk together ¼ cup water, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. Pour this mix evenly over the rice noodles and use chopsticks (or a large fork) to ensure all the noodles are coated with the sauce. Cover with a lid for a minute or two before uncovering and tossing the noodles again to make sure they are all cooked.

If you enjoy spicy foods, you can cut up small slices of red Thai chilies and add them to your noodles for a kick!