VERMICELLI PUFF NOODLES

The title for this recipe probably sounds a bit odd. The reason why I named it Vermicelli Puff Noodles because when you deep fry the Vermicelli/Rice Sticks, they will puff up, turn all white and really light and crispy. I thought I need a little variation instead of just stir-frying noodle all the time, not that I don’t like, but you know…a change can be a good thing. So I decided to deep fry the vermicelli noodles and then serve it with a thick gravy sauce. The crunchiness from the noodles and the thickness of the gravy go hand-in-hand. It complements each other really well I must say.

VERMICELLI PUFF NOODLES (2 servings)

1/2 package of Asian Rice vermicelli noodles
1 lb of prawns (deveined, you can leave the tails on) or other meat such as chicken or beef
1 C of broccoli florets (roughly chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 egg (beaten)
1 Tbsp corn starch mix with a little water
1 Tbsp fish sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Vegetable oil for deep fry

COOKING METHOD:

1. Heat up your wok/frying pan with oil for deep-fry. Break the vermicelli into smaller pieces. Fry the vermicelli a little bit at a time, they will puff up very quick and turn into white color, like instantly. It’s important to do it a bit at a time. You don’t want to bite into raw vermicelli pieces. Remove them as they puff up and repeat the process with the rest of the vermicelli. Set aside

2. In a different pan, heat up 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil. Saute garlic until fragrant. Add in meat (if used) until they are cooked. Add in the broccoli and saute until they are soft. If you use prawns, this is the time to add them and saute until they turn color. Add in about 1 C of water and bring it to boil. Add in fish sauce and season with salt and pepper

3. While it’s boiling, add in the beaten egg slowly (like making an egg-drop soup) and stir at the same time

4. Add in the corn starch mixture and stir until it gets thick and turn off the heat

5. When ready to serve, laddle the hot thick gravy over the crispy noodle and you will hear the “sizzling” sound from the Vermicelli Puff, so much fun 🙂