What Are Cellophane Noodles?

Cellophane noodles tossed with crisp bits of ground meat, and a tart fish sauce dressing.

What Are Cellophane Noodles?

What Are Cellophane Noodles?

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  • These gluten-free cellophane noodles are very adaptable because they are made from mung beans, yams, or potato starch. They can be used as a substitute for wheat noodles in stir-fries, added to soups and hotpots, or served cold in salads. In this dish, they are combined with garlicky ground meat and dressed with a fish sauce, sesame oil, and vinegar sauce. Its a light and satisfying stir-fry, ready in fifteen minutes.

  • 3 bundles cellophane noodles, about 9 ounces
  • 10 ounces ground pork, beef, or chicken
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • To Dress the Noodles:

  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce (or more, depending on saltiness)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic chili paste, optional
  • Finely sliced birds eye chiles, optional
  • To Garnish:

  • Bean spouts, parboiled
  • Finely chopped cilantro
  • Finely chopped Thai basil
  • To cook the pork, heat the oil in a wok and add the red chili pepper flakes and garlic, cooking until garlic begins to brown. Add the pork and salt and stir-fry until pork is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Turn the stove off and set aside.
  • In the meantime, bring a medium-sized pot of water to boil. Add the dried bundles of cellophane noodles cover the pot. Turn off the heat and let the noodles soften in the water, no longer than 10 minutes. Remove the noodles from the pot and drain in a colander.
  • Add the noodles and the ingredients for the dressing to the wok and toss everything together. Add the beansprouts if you are using.
  • Garnish with Thai basil and cilantro. Serve warm or tepid.
  • I like to first soak the cell phone noodles in boiling water before stirring frying them with the remaining ingredients. It cooks up without being overly soft and ingests all of the flavors of the food. Its delicious, I recommend making it this way. makes for a tasty stir fry when combined with chicken, carrots, cabbage, and mushrooms.

    I tried rice noodles, but didn’t like how soggy and slimy they got after even a minute too long sitting in the broth as someone who is utterly and dangerously allergic to wheat, these noodles are quite literally a lifesaver. No matter how long they sit in hot broth, cellophane noodles don’t have that issue; they remain nice and firm and pleasantly chewy.

    When purchasing something, you should also read the package’s back because different brands are different. For instance, I currently have two different brands in my home. One says that it has some protein and no fat. The other claims that it contains some fat but no protein, so I suppose it depends. ysmina August 1, 2011.

    Instead of using rice or wheat, which are two of the most common ingredients in making noodles, the base of cellophane noodles is mung bean starch and water. Extremely thin noodles are typically dried in coils to facilitate packaging. When a chef wants to use the noodles, he or she typically takes out a coil and either soaks them first or adds them to the dish without further preparation. The noodles have a sturdy texture and readily absorb flavors. Noodles should be used with caution in pans that contain oil because of their ability to absorb oil.

    When bean thread noodles are referred to by this name, I always chuckle. The name “cellophane” and the clear, glassy appearance of the noodles always make me think they will taste like plastic, even though I know they won’t. Or to sound all crinkly and. well, like cellophane.

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