How Long To Cook Chinese Egg Noodles?

The usual ingredients for making Chinese egg noodles are wheat flour, eggs, water, and salt. To help make the noodles chewier, richer, and to add flavor and color, eggs are added to the ingredients.

The use of lye water on the noodles causes them to turn more yellow and develop a chewier texture. Lye water is sold in Asian markets, but sadly, I have never seen it offered anywhere where I live.

Some recipes call for baking the baking soda on a very low temperature for a long time to achieve the same effect without lye water. I won’t get into the chemistry and technical details because I’m not an expert, but by baking it in that way, the baking soda retains its alkaline quality, which is desired to produce chewy, more yellow noodles.

Today, I wanted to share a straightforward recipe for Chinese egg noodles that, in my opinion, is less work and tastes just as good.

I love noodles. If you’ve read any of my noodle recipe posts, you know that finding Asian ingredients in my city is difficult and expensive.

I would therefore use either spaghetti or dry egg noodles depending on my mood and my available time.

The thing is, its very easy. You just need to spend some time with it. You can enjoy some delectable, homemade, bouncy egg noodles with just a little advance preparation.

I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour because bread flour always results in more elastic and chewy dough.

We want the texture of our Chinese egg noodles to be chewy. So instead of all purpose flour, use bread flour.

I also prefer to weigh my flour rather than measure it with cups. There are simply too many ways to put flour in a cup, in my opinion. Do you press it, shake it etc. Weighing is more precise.

Im using 1 large egg per 4. I add water to 6 oz (130 gr) of flour to bring the liquid weight to 2. 6 oz (65 gr).

Therefore, no matter how much flour you use, the weight of the egg and water combined should equal half of the flour.

What I’ve noticed is that by boiling the noodles with baking soda, you can give Chinese egg noodles the flavor and a little bit of texture that lye water or baked baking soda imparts.

So I boil about 6 3/4 cups of water (1 7 liters), generous amounts of salt, and 2 teaspoons of baking soda.

The important thing to remember in this step is to adjust the amount of baking soda to your taste. To test the flavor and texture, start with 1 teaspoon. Adjust accordingly.

It takes some work because this dough is hard and stiff. I give the dough a 10-minute kneading session before letting it rest for 30 minutes. I roll out the dough again for an additional 10 minutes, after which I let it rest for an additional 30 minutes.

The lengthy resting period is intended to allow the dough to relax and make it easier to handle.

The video below demonstrates how to cut, fluff, and knead the noodles in detail.

Well there you go. A simple way to make Chinese egg noodles at home. It really is easier than you think.

Wide Wonton Noodles

Use in hearty braises, noodle soups, and other dishes with stronger, oilier flavors.

Similar to thin wonton noodles but. thicker. I use these noodles in dishes that feature braised beef and heavier, oilier flavors, like this Taiwanese beef noodle soup.

Thin Wonton Noodles

Use: In simple sauces or light, delicate broths where the noodle is the star.

Such thin, springy noodles are typical of wonton noodle soup. It’s ideal for dishes with delicate broths like this wonton noodle soup with chicken and shiitakes. Consider wonton soups or chicken soups that combine pork and seafood They also work well in very straightforward dishes that are prepared with ginger, scallions, or oyster sauce, or in any dish where the noodle is the true star. Frequently, they are boiled, drained, drizzled with sizzling oil, and topped with a straightforward sauce.

How to work with these Chinese versatile staples.

Fresh Chinese egg noodles are a mainstay of Chinese restaurants and can be found in dishes like crispy pan-fried noodles and bowls of wonton noodle soup. Chinese egg noodles have a wide range of thickness and springiness, making them some of the most versatile to cook with. When cooked properly, Chinese egg noodles should have a firm bite and springy texture, just like Italian pasta or ramen.

The variety of options can be a little overwhelming if you’re just starting to use fresh Chinese egg noodles in your cooking. Fresh egg noodles are typically found in the refrigerator section of Asian markets. They are yellow and made primarily of wheat flour and eggs. However, just because they appear to be egg noodles does not necessarily mean that they are. Some alkaline noodle varieties have a yellow appearance, while some brands dye their noodles yellow to forgo including eggs in their product. When purchasing any of the following varieties, be sure to read the label to ensure they are real eggs.

Fresh Chinese egg noodles should be stored in their original sealed package in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook them. Once opened, they only keep for a few days. They should be good if they aren’t opened for about a week, but always check the expiration date!

Wonton noodles, Hong Kong-style (chow mein) noodles, and lo mein noodles are the most popular types of fresh egg noodles available. Heres a closer look.

FAQ

How long do Chinese noodles take to cook?

Fresh: Add fresh noodles to boiling water and cook for two to four minutes. Add dried ingredients to boiling water, then simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.

How long do you cook dried egg noodles?

Cooking Instructions for Egg Noodles: Boil the noodles in salted water until they are al dente. Depending on thickness, fresh noodles only need to cook for 3–5 minutes. Dried noodles will take about 8-12 minutes.

How do you boil fresh Chinese noodles?

Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat for the noodles. Add the noodles to the boiling water and gently untangle them as needed with a wooden spoon. Noodles should be cooked for about 7 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Drain noodles and divide between 4 large individual bowls.

How long do you boil Chinatown lo mein noodles?

Lo mein noodles take about three minutes. I quickly chill them with a quick rinse under cold water after cooking. When they’re ready to cook, I begin with the beef, stirring-frying it for a brief period of time in a small amount of extremely hot vegetable oil until it is mostly cooked.