Many people have told me they can’t find fresh rice noodles since I posted my Pad See Ew recipe. And the only other logical choice when the dry ones are actually not nearly as good is to make it And youll be glad to know its not that hard!.
The hardest part of this whole process may be picking the right pan to steam the noodles in. The ideal pan should cleanly release the noodles, leaving behind minimal stickiness and smooth noodles on the underside.
The noodles in the pan I used when I first recorded the video released beautifully. But after using different pans, I discovered that some did not release food as well and left a sticky bottom. Still usable for dishes, but more challenging to handle and required more oil in between the sheets.
I discovered that for things to release cleanly, the pan surface needs to be extremely smooth. Stainless steel, glass, porcelaine, or some nonstick surfaces are great. Aluminum and some rougher non-stick pans are not as great.
Additionally, thinner pans are better because they cool down much more quickly, enabling you to quickly switch from one plate to the next.
Many Thai recipes call for mixing the flour and a small amount of water before adding the rest of the water to make the dough into a batter to make fresh rice noodles. Since the starch molecules are essentially forced to absorb water more readily by the kneading, the starch can hydrate more thoroughly. The longer you knead, the better.
I was interested in this phenomenon, and a series of meetings led me to Dr. Food scientist Teeprakorn Kongraksawech from Oregon State University told me:
Rice Noodles: Recipe Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, tapioca starch (or cornstarch), salt, and water. Mix and dissolve everything together well. Add one teaspoon of oil, then pour the mixture into another bowl after passing it through a fine-mesh strainer. Cover the liquid and let rest for 30 minutes.
Fill your wok with water while the mixture is resting (but first, make sure your flat-bottomed pan fits comfortably inside!). Use a large, deep cooking pot with a wide opening and a lid if you don’t have a wok. Bring the water to a boil. (During the cooking process, you might need to add more water. The intention is for the pan to float above the boiling water. ).
Place the pan on top of the boiling water, add 1/4 cup of the rice liquid, and brush a thin layer of oil on the bottom of the flat-bottom pan. Lean it slightly so that the liquid from the rice covers the pan’s bottom.
Now, cover the pot/wok with the lid and cook for 5 minutes on high heat. If the bottom of the flat bottom pan you use is thicker, e g. Increase the cooking time for Pyrex to 7 or 8 minutes. While it’s cooking, brush the second pan lightly with oil.
5 minutes later, take off the lid, remove the first pan, and put it aside. Add a 1/4 cup of the rice mixture to the second pan and place it atop the water in the wok. Letting it cook, tilt it slightly so the liquid rice covers the bottom evenly.
While it’s cooking, attend to the first pan. We’ll remove the noodle sheet and set it on a cutting board. To stop the cutting board from sticking, lightly oil it. Then, slowly raise the sheet of noodles off the pan by loosening all of its edges with a rubber spatula. Lay it flat on your cutting board.
By now, your second pan is probably ready. To avoid sticking, don’t forget to lightly oil the first layer before placing the second sheet on top.
Prepare to make your third batch by brushing some oil on the bottom of the first pan. Up until all of the rice noodle batter is consumed, repeat the previous steps. I cut the finished noodle sheets into pieces that are 1/3 inch wide, but you are free to cut them into any other sizes or shapes. I then shake the noodles to separate them by loosening each layer. Now the rice noodles are ready to be used!.
These noodles can be kept in the refrigerator for a day or two. Once heated, they may slightly harden but should rebound nicely. Enjoy your homemade noodles!.
Another simple recipe for serving noodles is to toss them with some black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and some raw garlic that has been chopped.
Looking for more authentic recipes? Subscribe to our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube!
OTHER RECIPES TO TRY USING RICE NOODLES:
You can also check out my other noodle recipes:
Check out my latest Vegan Kitchen eBook, that has over 95 recipes (and a whole section for Asian recipes!) that are packed with flavour and made with simple and easily accessible ingredients! Also, two trees (instead of 1!) will be planted for every download of my eBook through non-profit organisation One Tree Planted.?
FAQ
How do you make rice noodles at home?
Essentially, the two main components that go into making rice noodles—rice flour and water—are combined according to a recipe that has stood the test of time since it was invented in China 2000 years ago.
How do they make rice noodles?
Thin rice noodles in dried formTypeNoodleMain ingredientsRice flour, waterVariationsBánh canh, bánh ph, khanom chin, kun tiáo, lai fun, mixian, rice vermicelli, sevai, shahe fenMedia: Rice noodles
