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Singapore noodles are thin rice vermicelli stir-fried with curry powder until every strand turns a soft golden yellow, then tossed with shrimp, scrambled egg, red bell pepper, carrot, onion, and bean sprouts. The dish is dry rather than saucy: the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine soak into the noodles instead of pooling in the pan. This version serves 4 and takes about 35 minutes, most of it soaking and slicing.
A Note on the Name
Despite the name, this isn’t a dish you’d find as a local specialty in Singapore. Curry-seasoned rice vermicelli is a Cantonese restaurant dish, popular in Hong Kong and on Chinese-American and British takeout menus, and the “Singapore” label is a menu name rather than a statement of origin. The version below follows that takeout style with ingredients from an ordinary American supermarket. It keeps the essentials (thin rice noodles, curry powder, shrimp, egg) and leaves out the char siu pork that many restaurants add.
Shopping and Prep Notes
Everything except the noodles gets cut before the wok goes on, because the cooking takes about 10 minutes once it starts.
- Rice vermicelli: Buy the thinnest dried rice noodles you can find, often labeled rice vermicelli or rice sticks. Wide rice noodles, bean thread (glass) noodles, and wheat noodles all give a different dish.
- Shrimp: 1 1/2 cups of peeled, deveined raw shrimp is about 10 ounces. Medium shrimp (31 to 40 per pound) cook at the same pace as the vegetables. Pat them dry so they sear instead of steaming.
- Curry powder: A standard yellow or Madras-style curry powder works. Brands differ in heat, so taste a pinch first; a hot blend makes the dish noticeably spicy.
- Shaoxing wine or broth: Shaoxing is a Chinese cooking wine with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Many supermarket bottles are salted. Low-sodium chicken broth works in its place; the noodles taste a little flatter, so a squeeze of extra soy at the end may help.
- Low-sodium soy sauce: Between the soy, the curry blend, and a salted cooking wine, the dish needs no added salt. With regular soy sauce, use 2 tablespoons instead of 3.
How to Make Singapore Noodles
1. Soak, drain, and shorten the noodles
Cover the vermicelli with very hot tap water and soak until the strands bend easily but still feel slightly firm when you bite one, usually 3 to 5 minutes. Drain them well and let them sit in the colander for about 5 minutes, shaking once or twice. Wet noodles steam in the wok and clump together; well-drained noodles separate and absorb the sauce. Snip the pile two or three times with kitchen scissors so the strands are about 6 inches long and easier to toss.
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2. Cook the egg and shrimp first, then set them aside
Scramble the eggs in a little oil over medium-high heat, stirring gently, until just set, then break them into uneven bite-size pieces and move them to a plate. Sear the shrimp in a single layer in a little more oil for about a minute per side, until opaque and 145°F inside, and add them to the plate. Taking both out keeps the shrimp from overcooking and the egg from turning into crumbs during the final toss.
3. Bloom the curry powder, then stir-fry the vegetables
Raw curry powder tossed onto dry noodles tends to clump and taste dusty. Warming it in oil for about 30 seconds first makes the color even and the flavor rounder. Add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper and stir-fry over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender, then add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
4. Toss the noodles with the sauce
Add the remaining oil and the noodles, pour the sauce around the edge of the wok, and toss with tongs for 2 to 3 minutes. The noodles should turn an even yellow and absorb the liquid. If they stick or look dry in spots, sprinkle in a tablespoon or two of water and keep tossing.
5. Return the shrimp and egg and finish
Add the shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, and green onions and toss for about a minute, just long enough to heat the shrimp and take the raw edge off the sprouts. They should stay crunchy. Serve right away.
Wok Space and Batching
Eight ounces of dried vermicelli turns into a large, springy pile after soaking, and it needs room to move. A 14-inch carbon-steel wok holds the full batch. In a 12-inch skillet, cook the vegetables, push them aside, and add the noodles in two additions, tossing the first half with half of the sauce before adding the rest. Crowding is the most common reason the noodles turn soft and sticky instead of separate and lightly toasted.
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When Something Goes Wrong
- Clumped, gummy noodles: They were soaked too long or not drained well. Next time, check them a minute early and let them drain longer.
- Patchy color: The curry powder didn’t spread. Toss longer and add a splash of water to carry it through the noodles.
- Rubbery shrimp: They cooked twice. Pull them as soon as they turn opaque; the final toss only reheats them.
- Too salty: Regular soy sauce or a salted cooking wine adds up quickly. Use broth instead of the wine, or cut the soy back next time.
For another takeout-style dinner, our chicken chow mein uses the same cook-in-stages method with egg noodles. For a different way to cook shrimp, try shrimp scampi, or browse more dinner recipes.
Storing Leftovers
Rice vermicelli firms up in the refrigerator and can break when reheated, so this is best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in a covered container. Reheat them in a skillet with a tablespoon of water, tossing until hot (165°F), or covered in the microwave. Freezing isn’t recommended: the noodles turn brittle and the shrimp toughen.
Quick Answers
Is it spicy?
Mildly, with a standard curry powder. A hot curry blend makes it spicy; there’s no added chili.
Can I leave out the shrimp?
Yes. Add one more egg and cook it the same way. The dish won’t have the sweet seafood flavor, but the method doesn’t change.
Do I have to cut the noodles?
No, but long strands tangle around the tongs and make it hard to spread the curry evenly. A few snips makes the toss much easier.
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Recipe Card
Singapore Noodles with Shrimp
Singapore noodles: thin rice vermicelli stir-fried with bloomed curry powder, shrimp, scrambled egg, red bell pepper, carrot, onion and bean sprouts in a light soy and Shaoxing wine sauce. Serves 4.
Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes | Total: 35 minutes | Yield: 4 servings | Category: Dinner | Cuisine: Chinese-American
Equipment: 14-inch wok or 12-inch skillet, colander, tongs, kitchen scissors, instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces thin dried rice vermicelli
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups raw peeled and deveined medium shrimp (about 10 ounces), patted dry
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 medium carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Soak the noodles: Cover the vermicelli with very hot tap water and soak for 3 to 5 minutes, until pliable but still slightly firm. Drain well and let sit in the colander for 5 minutes, shaking once or twice. Snip into roughly 6-inch lengths with kitchen scissors.
- Mix the sauce: Whisk the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine or broth, sugar, and black pepper in a small bowl. Keep the curry powder separate.
- Scramble the eggs: Beat the eggs. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in the wok over medium-high heat, add the eggs, and stir gently until just set, about 1 minute. Break into bite-size pieces and transfer to a plate.
- Sear the shrimp: Heat another 1/2 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook about 1 minute per side, until opaque and 145°F. Add to the plate with the eggs.
- Bloom the curry and cook the vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat, add the curry powder, and stir for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Raise the heat to high, add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Toss the noodles: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the noodles. Pour the sauce around the edge of the wok and toss with tongs for 2 to 3 minutes, until the noodles are evenly yellow, hot, and have absorbed the liquid. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if they stick.
- Finish and serve: Return the shrimp and egg, add the bean sprouts and green onions, and toss for about 1 minute, until heated through and the sprouts are still crisp. Serve right away.
Notes
- Shrimp are done at 145°F, when they turn opaque. They only reheat in the final toss.
- In a 12-inch skillet, add the noodles in two additions with half of the sauce each.
- With regular soy sauce, use 2 tablespoons. No added salt is needed.
Storage
- Refrigerate within 2 hours; keeps up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a skillet with 1 tablespoon water, or covered in the microwave, until it reaches 165°F.
- Freezing is not recommended; the noodles turn brittle and the shrimp toughen.
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