Singapore Noodles

Ryan and I made this together for an in-house date night. It was fun to prepare and we both loved the combination of flavors. The description from the cookbook says: Dried mushrooms add an intense flavor to this lightly curried dish!


1/4 ounce dried Chinese mushrooms
8 ounces fine egg noodles
2 teaspoons sesame oil (I used olive oil for both oils)
3 Tablespoons peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small onion, chopped
1 fresh green chili, seeded and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons curry powder
4 ounces green beans, halved
4 ounces Chinese cabbage, thinly shredded (we didn't use cabbage, but threw in some snow peas, zucchini, and broccoli)
4 green onions, sliced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
4 ounces cooked jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (you could also substitute tofu for this to make it a vegetarian dish or chicken would be good as well)
salt

Place the mushrooms in a bowl, cover with warm water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 Tablespoons of the soaking water, then slice.

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain, transfer to a bowl, and toss with the sesame oil. I also cut the noodles with my kitchen scissors so they are easier to manage in tossing and eating.

Heat the peanut oil in a preheated wok. When it is hot, stir-fry the garlic, onion and chili for 3 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetables. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender but still crisp.

Add the noddles, soy sauce, reserved mushroom soaking water and shrimp. Toss over the heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles and shrimp are heated through. Season with salt to taste.