I love meals that come together quickly, require minimum cooking and deliver on flavor. I also love fresh rice noodles but we can only buy them in Asian stores and we don’t have one nearby. Just like their wheat counterpart, pasta, fresh rice noodles are soft, and only need a few minutes to cook. You also should consume them a day or two after buying them because they are fresh and will harden. Luckily, this isn’t a problem in our home!
One thing we have always in our pantry is rice paper. You can buy it in most grocery stores in the ethnic section. A package only costs a few bucks and has so many uses. Rice paper sheets are thin and delicate so make sure to store them flat and handle them with care.
It usually comes in round packages. In Asian grocery stores, they have different sizes and shapes (round, ad square). Larger ones are a foot wide, while the smaller ones (most commonly found) are 9 inches wide. The smaller ones are mostly used in salad rolls, but did you know that you can use them to make instant fresh rice noodles? It is so cool! And because rice paper has no expiration date, you can make them anytime you crave for some awesome fresh noodles.
So if you are in a hurry or crave for some tender rice noodles, grab a package of rice paper! A cool thing about using it, is that you can make them any size, width or thickness you like. Super thin, a little wider for Pad Thai or even wider like Pad See Yew!
TIPS
The trick with this recipe is to have everything you need ready before getting started. Make the sauce first, have the toppings set aside (chopped green onion, sesame seeds…) then prepare your working area. A bowl of warm water large enough to dip a sheet of rice paper without breaking it, a clean cutting board, and a sharp large knife or a pair of scissors. If you have vegetable oil in a spray bottle, you are good to go. If you don’t, that’s ok, just pour a teaspoon of vegetable oilย in a small bowl and use a silicone brush. You will need to work quickly as rice paper gets soft and sticky in a matter of seconds.
The process
Dip a sheet of rice paper in the warm water and quickly remove it. Spray a little oil on the cutting board and place the sheet on it. Spray or brush a little more oil. Repeat the process with a second sheet, brush more oil.
Using a sharp knife, quickly cut strips. Place them in a bowl with the chili sauce.
Repeat the process 2-3 times to make enough noodles for 1-2 people.
Heat up the noodles and sauce over medium heat and stir to coat them. It will only take a minute to get them ready.
Toppings
A great addition to the garlic chili sauce is fresh cilantro, and roasted peanuts.
You are going to love it!
Quick homemade Rice Noodles with Garlic Chili Sauce
Equipment
- 1 oil sprayer or silicone brush
Ingredients
- 8-10 sheets of rice paper (round or square)
- warm water
Chili Sauce
- 2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes or Gochujan
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple or agave syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
Toppings
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 1 tbsp white and/or black sesame seeds
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
Make the garlic chili sauce
- In a small bowl combine 2 tbsp garlic chili paste, red pepper flakes or Gochujang sauce, fresh ginger, soy sauce, vegetable oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar, water, sesame seeds and chopped green scallions. Set aside.
Make the noodles
- Prepare your working area. A clean cutting board, a wide bowl with warm water, an oil sprayer or a silicone brush, a little vegetable oil, a long sharp knife or a pair of scissors.
- Dip a sheet of rice paper in the warm water and quickly remove it. Spray a little oil on the cutting board and place the sheet on it.
- Spray or brush a little more oil. Repeat the process with a second sheet, brush more oil. Two layers will make a nice noodle.
- Quickly cut strips with a sharp knife and peel off the layers. Place in a bowl and cover with the sauce.
Cook the noodles
- Pour the noodles and the sauce in a frying pan and heat it up.
- Quickly stir to evenly coat the noodles. The sauce will thicken a little.
- Taste to make sure the noodles are tender and season more if needed.
