Wheat noodles are fantastic because you can purchase them dry and store them in your cupboard for months without having to use them right away.
So you only need two pieces of equipment to make your noodles: a saucepan to boil them in and a sieve (or cullender) to drain the water and rinse them.
The noodles I am using are called Lucky Boat noodles but it doesn doesn’t matter what brand you are using though because it’s always the same method for cooking wheat noodles. Even if you are cooking buckwheat noodles or wholewheat noodles, this is how you do it:
You want to prevent them from cooking, so it’s crucial to cool them down as soon as you can. Keep in mind that since you’ll be cooking them again in your wok, they don’t need to be completely cooked. You don’t want soggy noodles, which can happen if you boil them for too long or don’t cool them down quickly enough.
Before using wheat noodles in any of my recipes, you must first soften them up. If you put them straight into your wok like this and try to make drunken noodles or anything else for that matter, it will go horribly wrong.
Place the flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix to combine. Add the water and stir with a fork until the dough is loosely combined. Then tip out onto your benchtop. Knead the dough for ten minutes, or until it is smooth and springs back when you press your finger into it.
Nutrition per Serving Calories 304 kcal Carbs 57 g Fat 4 g Protein 8 g
In Asian cuisine, noodles are an essential ingredient. Wheat noodles come in a variety of varieties and can be served hot, cold, with soups, or even “dry” (tossed in a different sauce). The combination is simply endless. I chose to prepare egg-free wheat noodles for this recipe. However, eggs can be used to enhance flavor and add a hint of color from the egg yolk.
The ingredients for egg-free wheat noodles are few, and they can be made quickly and simply. I only gave the dough a 10- to 15-minute rest period. Viola! Roll out the dough and cut them into strips. Although it is optional, adding shallot oil definitely improved the flavor and aroma of the noodles. You can omit the shallot oil altogether or substitute another type of oil.
Udon noodles are made similarly. However, the dough is not given any shallot oil and is allowed to rest for a much longer period of time, such as for at least four hours. The gluten in the dough gets to strengthen as it rests. Kneading the dough thoroughly further strengthens the gluten. This provides more elasticity to the noodles. You should give the dough a little more time to rest if you want to chew into springy noodles. To replicate the shape of udon noodles, you could also cut the dough into thicker slices.
As seen in the video, preparing the noodles is rather simple. There is one important tip which I want to share with you. Once the dough is flattened, dust flour generously to prevent it from sticking to each layer when it is folded. This would be really helpful when separating the noodles later.
Wheat noodles should be cooked in boiling water. In most Asian recipes, salt is typically not needed because the sauces or broths are already very flavorful. Try other suggested recipes using chicken soups or a combination of sauces as shown in the wonton noodles recipe, even though these homemade noodles are made specifically for chilli pan mee.
Before packing the separated noodles for storage, give them an hour to rest. The moisture in the dough may cause the wheat noodles to clump together if this step is skipped. It can be frozen for up to 6 months or kept cold for up to 2 days.
FAQ
How do you cook wheat noodles without sticking?
To remove extra stickiness, add 1-2 cups of cold water to the boiled noodles before draining them once more. Transfer them over to pan and toss with 1-teaspoon oil. This will prevent them from turning sticky.
How do you know when wheat noodles are done?
McNaughton gives the instruction, “If the box directions say ‘cook for 12 minutes,’ start checking at 8.” When you bite into undercooked pasta, the center of the noodle will be a white, floury circle. The second that dot disappears, the pasta is perfectly cooked. “.
How do you soften wheat noodles?
To prepare, put the noodles in a heat-resistant bowl, cover them with boiling water, and let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
How do you make wheat noodles taste better?
But if you must, mix in some cheese with a strong flavor to counteract the nuttiness. That said, whole-wheat pasta loves big flavors. Use a vibrant tomato sauce, a hearty pesto (a roasted jalapeno added to pesto makes the whole-wheatiness disappear), or a chunky vegetable sauce.
