What Are The Chinese Noodles That Puff Up

THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS CRISPY NOODLE RECIPE

This noodle dish is modeled after the crispy chow mein at North Park, a local chain of Chinese restaurants. I used vermicelli or sotanghon noodles, which are typically made from pea or corn starch, in place of chow mein or egg noodles.

The crispy palabok from another nearby Filipino restaurant called Manam served vermicelli was the inspiration for this dish. My favorite part of their crispy palabok is the large mound of noodles covered in hot sauce, which you can hear cracking just a little bit as the sauce gets on each piece and the little mound of noodles begins to flatten.

Steps to Make It

• Gather the ingredients. The Spruce Eats / Sonia Bozzo
• Pull apart the different sections of the rice noodles into small portions to separate them. Cut the noodles into 4 to 5 inch long strips with scissors. The Spruce Eats / Sonia Bozzo .
• Put the oil in a small to medium-sized frying pan or wok. You will need to use less oil if the pan is smaller. For at least one minute, heat the oil over medium-high heat. The Spruce Eats / Sonia Bozzo .
• Holding a few longer noodles in your hand, dip only the ends into the boiling oil. The submerged portions will turn into crispy, puffy noodles in a matter of seconds if the oil is heated enough. If this doesn’t occur, take out the submerged sections and trim them. Give it a little more time for your oil to warm up before trying again. The Spruce Eats / Sonia Bozzo .
• When the oil is heated to the proper temperature, carefully drop handfuls of noodles into it. The Spruce Eats / Sonia Bozzo .
• Once you have a utensil ready, flip them quickly. The actual cooking time is only a few seconds. The Spruce Eats / Sonia Bozzo .
• Set the puffed noodles to drain on paper towels. Sprinkle a little salt over them if desired. Continue frying the rest of your noodles. (To prevent burning, you might need to turn the heat down to medium. ) The Spruce Eats / Sonia Bozzo .

How to Store Crispy Noodles

Crispy noodles don’t need to be refrigerated; they can be eaten the same day or kept for up to a week in a plastic food storage container. Your local climate and humidity level have a big impact on how long they stay crunchy.