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I’ve been tinkering with this for a while, and I’ve discovered that the following procedure works well when purchasing the entire unribboned sheets:
I put the entire batch of rice noodles on a plate that can be microwaved and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place in microwave, cook on defrost (power level 3 in my microwave), and then alternate as necessary. I do this 2-3 times before flipping the first time. I’m using my fingers to feel the edges for softness. I prefer noodles that are at least an inch wide, so when they soften I cut them, lay them on their edges, and separate them. This is about 140F degrees. I found them to be too plastic at 147F and the tor while separating.
I believe those are chow fun noodles. If not already cut, cut them to the desired size, soak them in cool water for about 7 to 15 minutes, and then manually unroll them. That how I was taught anyways.
Cut the sides off as well since the packaging appears to be tightly sealed; this should prevent the ingredients from clumping and allow the water to permeate and separate them.
These can only be handled by microwaving them. They will begin to disintegrate if you microwave them for several minutes at a time.
For a few minutes (no longer than five minutes, or they will cook), soak them in a sizable bowl of hot to boiling water. They should have separated on their own. Simply drain and cook.
After dropping the noodles into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, simply stir the mixture to cause the noodles to separate. Then rinse in cold bath or with running tap water. Finally, add oil to prevent sticking, stir well, and then leave it while cooking the vegetables or meat.
They were successfully separated by boiling in water, but they were overcooked in my dish. I think the microwave technique works better. I put them between 2 plates. Put them in for longer because if you don’t get them hot enough, they will break.
I’ve always discovered that adding a little cooking oil to the water prevents my spaghetti from congealing into a single, gummy mass. Although I haven’t tried it with noodles, it should work in theory.
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What causes flat rice noodles to stick together?
If you don’t know how to cook flat rice noodles properly when making Char Kway Teow, you risk the noodles sticking and clumping together. When rice noodles are boiled, the starch that comes out of them makes them sticky, which causes flat rice noodles to tend to stick together. You run the risk of the flat rice noodles sticking and clumping together if you don’t stir-fry them constantly or if you can’t keep the ingredients moist.
Rinse the noodles with water before stir-frying
Rinsing the flat rice noodles in water, whether hot or cold, will get rid of the starch coating them. The rice noodles’ reduced starch content helps keep them from sticking to one another. Before adding the rice noodles to the wok or pan for stir-frying, drain them using a strainer. You want to keep your noodles moist enough so that they do not dry out while stir-frying, so do not be concerned that there will be too much water for stir-frying.
FAQ
How do I separate rice noodles?
Making the noodles in sauce will prevent the starches on each noodle from coming into contact with one another, which is what causes the starches on the outside of the noodles to hang out and cause them to clump.
Why are my rice noodles sticking together?
Dump the rice into a larger saucepan, add about a half-cup of water, and heat it on low to unstick it. Gently break up the clumps with a fork. Several minutes of covered simmering should cause the clumps to loosen.
How do you separate clumped rice?
Add boiling water to a bowl of dry noodles. Soak, and set aside to soften. During softening, separate the noodles with tongs in the bowl. To separate them, take them out of the bowl using tongs.