Fried noodles facts for kids

Mie goreng, a tasty Indonesian fried noodle dish from Bali

Fried noodles are super popular dishes found all over East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Think of countries like China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and India! There are so many different kinds of fried noodles, each with its own special way of cooking and unique ingredients. They can be made with various types of noodles, from thin rice vermicelli to thick wheat noodles, and mixed with all sorts of yummy things like vegetables, meats, and sauces.

Delicious Fried Noodle Dishes

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  Beef chow fun

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  Char kway teow

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  Pad thai

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  Chicken chow mein from Nepal

Stir-fried Noodles

Stir-frying is a quick cooking method where food is cooked in a hot pan or wok with a little oil. This way of cooking keeps the noodles and ingredients fresh and flavorful.

Popular Stir-fried Dishes

• Beef chow fun – This is a famous Chinese dish from Canton. It features flat rice noodles stir-fried with tender beef, crunchy bean sprouts, and fresh green onions. It's known for its smoky flavor!
• Char kway teow – A very popular dish in Malaysia and Singapore. It's made with flat rice noodles stir-fried with prawns, eggs, bean sprouts, fish cake, mussels, green leafy vegetables, and Chinese sausages. It's often cooked over a very high heat to give it a special "wok hei" (breath of the wok) flavor.
• Chow chow – This is the Nepali version of stir-fried noodles. It's often cooked with onions, lots of vegetables, and sometimes buff (meat from a water buffalo). It's also widely enjoyed in India.
• Chow mein – A general term for Chinese stir-fried wheat noodles. You'll find different versions in Nepal, American Chinese restaurants, and Canadian Chinese restaurants.
• Drunken noodles (phat khi mao) – A spicy Thai dish made with wide rice noodles. Despite the name, it doesn't contain alcohol, but it's said to be a great dish to eat after a night out!
• Hokkien mee – A Chinese-inspired dish from Malaysia and Singapore. It's a flavorful mix of stir-fried noodles with many different ingredients depending on where you try it.
• Japchae – A colorful and delicious Korean dish. It's made with cellophane noodles (which are clear and chewy) mixed with various vegetables and sometimes meat.
• Kwetiau goreng – An Indonesian stir-fried dish using flat rice noodles (called kwetiau). It's cooked with garlic, shallots, and your choice of beef, chicken, or prawn, along with chili, vegetables, and sweet soy sauce.
• Lo mein – An American Chinese-style dish with stir-fried wheat noodles. Unlike chow mein, lo mein noodles are usually tossed with sauce and ingredients rather than fried until crispy.
• Mee goreng – A common fried noodle dish in Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. It's known for its rich, savory, and sometimes spicy flavor.
• Mee siam – A Malaysian and Singaporean dish featuring rice vermicelli noodles in a spicy, sweet, and sour gravy. There are also dry versions of this dish.
• Mie goreng – A very popular spicy stir-fried yellow wheat noodle dish from Indonesia. It's often served with a fried egg on top.
• Mie goreng Aceh – A super hot and spicy stir-fried thick yellow wheat noodle dish from the Aceh province in Indonesia. It's famous for its strong flavors.
• Pad thai – One of Thailand's most famous dishes! It's a stir-fried rice noodle dish with egg, fish sauce, and a mix of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu. It has a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and savory flavors.
• Pancit bihon – A classic Filipino stir-fried rice vermicelli noodle dish. It's often served at celebrations and gatherings.
  • Pancit estacion
  • Pancit Malabon
• Phat si-io – Another Thai dish made with wide rice noodles. It's usually less spicy than Pad Thai and has a savory, slightly sweet flavor from dark soy sauce.
• Rat na – A Thai dish of stir-fried wide rice noodles served in a thick, savory gravy.
• Shanghai fried noodles – A hearty dish from Shanghai, China, usually made with thick, chewy noodles stir-fried with pork and cabbage.
• Singapore chow fun/Singapore-style rice vermicelli – Interestingly, this dish is not actually from Singapore! It's a Cantonese dish with thin rice noodles stir-fried with curry powder, bean sprouts, barbecued pork, and vegetables.
• Singapore chow mein – Similar to the above, but made with wheat noodles instead of rice vermicelli.
• Yaki udon – A Japanese dish featuring thick wheat udon noodles that are stir-fried with various ingredients.
• Yakisoba – A popular Japanese-style fried wheat or buckwheat noodle dish. It's flavored with sosu (Japanese Worcestershire sauce) and often served with pork, cabbage, and red pickled ginger (beni shōga). You'll often find it at Japanese festivals or even as a filling for sandwiches!

Pan-fried Noodles

Pan-frying involves cooking food in a pan with a moderate amount of oil, often until it's crispy on the outside.

Crispy Pan-fried Dishes

• Hong Kong fried noodles – This Hong Kong-style dish has flour noodles that are pan-fried until they are wonderfully crispy. They are then served with vegetables, chicken, or seafood, creating a delicious contrast in textures.

Deep-fried Noodles

Deep-frying means cooking food by fully submerging it in hot oil. This method makes the noodles very crispy and crunchy.

Mi krop is a crispy, sweet, and tangy Thai noodle dish.

Crunchy Deep-fried Dishes

• Fried crunchy wonton noodles – These are strips of wonton wrappers that are deep-fried until they are golden and crispy. They are often served as an appetizer with duck sauce and hot mustard at American Chinese restaurants.
• I fu mie – A Chinese Indonesian dish where dried yi mein noodles are deep-fried until crispy. They are then served in a sauce with vegetables, chicken, or prawns, softening the noodles as you eat.
• Mie kering – A Chinese-influenced deep-fried crispy noodle dish from Makassar, Indonesia. It's also known as kurum kurum in parts of Pakistan.
• Mi krop – A unique Thai dish made from crispy deep-fried rice noodles. It's known for its sweet, sour, and slightly salty flavor, often garnished with lime and cilantro.

See also

In Spanish: Fideos fritos para niños