Crispy Fried Noodles – if you can’t resist those golden, crunchy noodles that come as a side to soups and salads at restaurants, you are going to love this simple method to make them at home! In just five easy steps, you can make your own crunchy, crispy fried noodles at home and enjoy them whenever you want.
These noods are addictive guys so beware. They might be gone within five minutes of coming out of the deep fryer.
But they are so good on everything!! Use them as a crunchy topping on manchow soup, hot and sour soup or even a wonton soup, or as a mix in when you toss together a crunchy chinese chicken salad for lunch. Or make your favorite chinese dish and use these as a base instead of regular noodles.
The thing with these crispy fried noodles is that it’s not as simple as boiling the noodles and then deep frying them. There is a specific method that you need to follow to be able to get noodles that look like this 👆where each noodle is separate, perfectly crunchy and golden brown and I’m showing you how.
step #1 select your noodles
This is not a science. Just choose your favorite egg or vegetarian hakka noodles. This will work with any Lo Mein noodles or even Ramen. But I wouldn’t pick a thicker variety of noodles such as Udon noodles or even rice noodles.
ALSO READ : How to make a tomato soup recipe.
Here’s a noodle brand I use at home – its easily available on Big Basket if you live in India
step #2 boil the noodles
Boil your noodles in salted water with a teaspoon of oil till they are just al dente. Al dente means that the noodles should be cooked such that they are still firm when bitten into. The rule that I follow is to subtract 60 seconds from the cooking time mentioned on the packet. In this case, my packet suggested I cook these for 3 minutes in boiling water so I cooked them for 2 minutes. That ways you always avoid over cooking these, because remember they will cook further when you deep fry these.
step #3 drain the noodles
Once the noodles are cooked, immediately drain them in a colander and wash them with cold water. This is a really important step because the longer you leave them in the cooking water, the longer they continue to cook. Washing them in cold water removes any extra salts and starch and prevents them from sticking together.
step #4 air dry them on a sheet
Once the noodles are drained completely, spread them out on a baking sheet or parchment paper and leave them out to dry for 30 minutes. This gets rid of any extra moisture and helps them fry evenly. Plus they won’t splutter as much when you deep fry the noodles
step #5 dust them with cornflour
Once the noodles are dry, dust them and toss them with cornflour. The cornflour takes care of any extra moisture, and prevents them from sticking together by acting as an extra layer. The starch also makes them extra crispy when they are deep fried.
step #6 deep fry the noodles
Heat oil in a wide skillet like a cast iron or frying pan till the oil starts shimmering (about 350F/ 180C). If you don’t have a thermometer, insert a chopstick or the stem of a wooden ladle into the oil. The oil should start shimmering around the edges of the ladle or chopstick and that’s when you know its ready. Make sure the heat is on medium high (if its too low, the noodles will soak up the oil and if its too high they’ll fry from the outside without cooking from the inside), and slowly add noodles to the oil. Don’t overcrowd, just spread them out evenly. Fry these for 2-3 minutes till they are a deep golden brown from the outside. And then take them out on some tissue paper to get rid of any extra oil.
Let them cool completely before storing them in an air tight container or use them immediately. These can be stored for up to 10 days in an airtight container.
And that’s it! You have your own batch of homemade crispy fried noodles ready to be used. I like to make a big batch and use them for soups, salads or to serve with chinese stir fries.
Ingredients
â–¢150 grams Hakka Noodles or Lo Mein Noodles
â–¢1 tablespoon Salt
â–¢2 tablespoons Cornflour
â–¢1.5 cups Canola Oil for frying or any neutral flavored vegetable oil
Instructions
Boil the noodles with salt and a teaspoon of oil till al dente. My rule of thumb is to boil the noodles for 60 seconds less than the package instructions.
Immediately drain them in a colander and wash them thoroughly with cold water.
Once they are completely drained, spread them out in an even layer on a sheet or parchment paper and leave them out to dry for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, sprinkle the noodles with cornflour and toss them well.
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or frying pan till it starts shimmering (350F/ 180C). You can drop a small piece of noodle in the oil to check if it’s hot enough. If there is no movement in the oil when you drop the noodle, it’s not hot enough.
Keep the heat to medium high, and add a handful of noodles to the oil, spreading them out. Deep fry them for 2-3 minutes till they are a deep golden brown. Do this in batches so that the temperature of the oil does not drop down significantly once you add the noodles.
Drain them out on some tissue paper and let them cool completely before using. You can store them in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Notes
It is important to undercook the noodles slightly when boiling as they will continue to cook while frying. Overcooked noodles also have more moisture which will cause it to disintegrate when fried.
Run the cooked noodles under cold water once done. The cold shock will prevent further cooking.
Spread out the noodles as much as possible over a kitchen towel or parchment paper. You can also pat dry with another kitchen towel, but be sure to not make it mushy.
Do not skip the corn flour. The corn flour absorbs all the remaining moisture from the noodles. This will make it easier while frying.
Be careful when adding the noodles to oil. As there will still be some level of moisture present, it will cause the oil to bubble vigorously. Be extra careful, use tongs or mitts if necessary.
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