Authentic Pan Fried Rice Vermicelli Recipe

Rice vermicelli as an ingredient may not be too common in western cuisine, but Southeast Asian and Chinese cooking would be utterly bereft without it. Made with rice flour and water, rice vermicelli can be found in everything from stir-fries to salads and soups. It's even often used as a filling for spring rolls. So, why not cook it up in a pan, too? 

This style of pan-fried vermicelli may be named after Singapore, but Bon Appétit notes that its origins are actually elsewhere. Instead, the dish appears to have come from Hong Kong. There, curry-flavored rice vermicelli is served at restaurants that specialize in Cantonese cooking. 

Regardless of where you think its predecessors hail from, Ting Dalton's version of this comfort food is as authentic as it gets. Cooking up her version of pan-fried rice vermicelli will leave you with a version reminiscent of the noodles you get at any Cantonese eatery. Just remember to eat it the way that locals might do, which is piping hot.

As with preparing for many other noodle or pasta dishes, cooking with rice vermicelli requires getting the noodles ready before moving on to the rest of the steps. Unlike pasta, which needs to be boiled, you'll need to soak the noodles in just-boiled water for 2 to 3 minutes, until the noodles are soft. Once that's done, simply drain the noodles and set them aside. 

Don't get impatient and boil the noodles directly or soak them in cold water. Either of these alternatives will potentially alter the texture of these thin, delicate noodles, so it's best to stick with the aforementioned method. 

You'll know when the noodles are ready to drain because they will actually change color, though it will be a subtle transformation. Uncooked noodles can be either clear or white, while cooked noodles will be white and opaque.

With your sauce and your egg waiting in the wings, it's time to get started on the main ingredients. Heat your other tablespoon of vegetable oil to high heat in the pan, then add your aromatics. These include the sliced garlic, whole green chili, ginger, and red bell pepper. Stir fry these ingredients for 1 to 2 minutes, after which you will add your prawns (or whatever other protein you've decided to use in its place).

Whatever you do, don't give in to the temptation to replace vegetable oil with olive oil, which cannot be used for Asian cooking. Olive oil has a low smoke point, which makes it unsuitable for high heat stir-fries. That means that, if you subject it to a truly hot pan as this recipe requires, your kitchen will soon be a smoky mess and the oil may even have an odd flavor afterward. If neither you nor your loved ones have nut sensitivities, peanut oil is best for Chinese cooking because it has a high smoke point and can handle the heat just fine. Other high smoke point oils may also be an acceptable option here.

This pan-fried rice vermicelli dish is incredibly forgiving. Aside from swapping out your noodles, and swapping (or adding) different sorts of proteins, Dalton says it's fine to use different strengths of curry powder, too. If you cannot take the heat, use a mild curry powder and leave out the hot green chili. Omitting the curry powder will leave you with a basic Chinese fried noodle dish, Dalton says. 

As far as vegetables are concerned, you can also add sliced onions and any other vegetables you might have on hand, including sweetcorn or mangetout. If you really want to go hard and pile on the veggies, Dalton recommends different options like napa cabbage, shredded bok choy, bean sprouts, and sliced matchstick carrots, for instance. "The choice is endless and a good way to use up veggies lurking in the fridge," she says.