The word “chopsticks” produces unparalleled excitement at mealtime in our house. Last year, I set aside the old, plain chopsticks we used and bought each boy a special pair of their own. They promptly etched their initials into the end of each chopstick with a permanent marker. When they hear potstickers or soba noodles are on the menu, they run to the kitchen drawer and rummage through to find their ivory-colored utensils. Well, yesterday we were out of soba noodles and I wasn’t feeling inspired to make potstickers, but the boys willingly sat at the table, clutching their chopsticks, when they heard that rice vermicelli, edamame and shrimp were involved.
This quick noodle dish has a low level of heat from the curry powder and red chile flakes that lingers on your tongue until cooled by the freshness of the edamame. The rice noodles cook in a matter of minutes and the shrimp are cooked until just opaque in the same pot of boiling water. Don’t be scared off by the splash of the fish sauce. Although the smell is a bit tough to take at first, the sauce mellows as it cooks and loses its astringent qualities, leaving behind a pleasing saltiness and depth of flavor.
I realized that I was pushing the limits with this dish, straying a little too far from grilled cheese sandwiches and hot dogs for my boys’ likings, but they shocked the heck out of me by asking for seconds. Maybe it was the noodles, or maybe it was the allure of those chopsticks.
The recipe:
Soak the rice vermicelli in a bowl of warm water until the noodles are begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the noodles to a strainer. Rinse with with cold water and set aside. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a bowl.
I used frozen edamame, so I cooked them in boiling water first and then shelled them.
Heat canola oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red chile flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the noodles, edamame and curry powder. Toss to coat the noodles with the curry powder.
Add the shrimp and fish sauce and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles are heated through, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the noodle mixture to bowl and garnish each with a sprig of cilantro.
Other rice vermicelli recipes:
Appetite for China’s Stir-Fried Vermicelli with Garlic & Scallions
Christine’s Recipes’ Beef Brisket Rice Vermicelli Soup
One Perfect Bite’s Lamb Shreds with Deep-Fried Rice Vermicelli
Qlinart’s Sauteed Rice Vermicelli with Pork, Black Mushrooms & Crabmeat
From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. Inspired by Corinne Trang
Ingredients
- 10 oz. dried rice vermicelli
- 24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 9 oz. edamame pods (4 oz. without pods)
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp red chile flakes (more or less, as desired)
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
Instructions
- Soak the rice vermicelli in a bowl of warm water until the noodles are begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the noodles to a strainer. Rinse with with cold water and set aside. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a bowl.
- I used frozen edamame, so I cooked them in boiling water first and then shelled them. Set aside.
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red chile flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the noodles, edamame and curry powder. Toss to coat the noodles with the curry powder.
- Add the shrimp and fish sauce and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles are heated through, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the noodle mixture to bowl and garnish each with a sprig of cilantro.
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
Your boys have good taste! This looks way beyond just good and I am so impressed that they are able to use chopsticks, a skill I have never mastered!
This sounds so awesome! The edamame looks perfect in it.
A bit like Singapore noodles, which I love. Actually, I love all Asian noodles!
Good for you having boys that are adventurous with their food! I hope my little one will be (first he needs teeth!). I lived in Japan for a year so I love just about anything that reminds me of the foods I ate there, and this dish has my mouth watering. It looks really simple and quick to prepare. Thanks for a delish share!
i adore curry…probably one of my favorite spices EVER!
Were your boys selective eaters as toddlers? I don’t know how my son survives on air and Cheerios. I’m really hoping this will all change with age. I want him to have an appetite and a desire to try new things like your boys. Sigh. Maybe it’s the chopsticks. I just need to let him stab his food with chopsticks no matter what I serve. Haha! This looks so delicious. Bookmarking this recipe. Yummy!
Looks like a good dinner tonight to me. My boy loves to use chopsticks at age 10. He’s rather good at it, I must say
chopsticks intimidate me, but I might would master them in order to finish off the bowl… love it of course with the shrimp…
Yum! This looks delicious! Now I’m tempted to get my wok out and whip up some noodles myself. And those shrimp look perfect!
I heart chopsticks, really, I do. I think I learned to use them before I learned to use a fork (maybe? I don’t really remember). But I do use chopsticks to style food, instead of tweezers
Love it! My kids love their chopsticks too. My friend brought me these plastic ones so they each have their own kiddie pink/blue chopsticks with an animal on top.
This looks so delicious Dara. I wish you could make me dinner.
Yum! I’d like to try a chilled version of this as a summer recipe. It’s too hot to think about heat right now.
Love curry. This recipe sounds amazing!
I love curry powder! And edamame. And shrimp! I guess it’s time to try the recipe out
YUM!
You are such a darn creative cook! I love coming here and getting inspired! So many good flavors you combined here so interestingly! Very nicely done . . . now if I could only learn to use chopsticks without a rubberband holding them toegtehr!
I just fell out of my chair, this looks so GOOD. I’m in LOVE with shrimp, edamame, and vermicelli noodles. So needless to say, my heartstrings JUMPED OUT ON THEIR OWN.
Cute story–my kids get really excited about chopsticks as well. The little one is just so happy he can finally keep up with everyone else, he asked for noodles all the time.
This looks gorgeous!
That’s a tough call the noodles or the chop sticks. I would bet it was both. These noodles look wonderful!
A wonderful, quick summertime meal! I’ve got some frozen edamame waiting to be used for something, and this certainly sounds like the perfect dish!
Looks like “default pasta” with a curry twist. Perfect quick and colorful meal. GREG
Don’t you love those kind of surprises?? They are the best! I love the surprise of using curry in this dish and definitely have to try it out!
Perfect, easy, one dish meal!!
Looks very good. Chopped sticks are fun, my son is still with the kiddie ones, held together with paper and a rubber band.
Playing with chopsticks is always a fun adventure. Hand me a couple alomg with a bowl of that please and you won’t hear a peep out of me for quiet a while. Goodness that looks so good
Oh, I have a weakness when it comes to gorgeous shrimp dishes! Yum!
Your chopsticks sound beautiful! And with initials? No wonder they get so excited when they hear about dishes like this! Your vermicelli looks delicious and so healthy too. I love the addition of edamame!
I just can’t learn to eat with chopsticks… don’t know why…can’t do it. But give me a fork and you’ll see that bowl cleaned up in 2 minutes!
Love that your boys get so excited by chopsticks. Too cute! I remember being the same way when I was little – anything eaten with chopsticks was automatically twice as delicious as it would be without chopsticks.
This recipe sounds just perfect for the hot weather we’ve been having – sort of like a pared-down version of Singapore Chow Mein. Might have to pick up some frozen edamame on the way home tonight so that I can whip up some noodles up for myself!
This looks delish!! Love the flavors….and the shrimp!
Dara this is so my kind of recipe! Ps… I don’t have chopsticks… but I do remember my parents did, my Dad brought them back from when he was in the Navy and stationed in Japan!
I’m now googling “where to buy chopsticks”
So easy!
I must make this for our easy peasy Friday night date dinner
love that your boys are sooooo excited about food . . . although i do realize that it helps to have a pair of personalized chopsticks!! this is a bit fat YUM!
Looks like an excellent weeknight dinner! I do love to use chopsticks too!
OH MY YUMMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!! looks so great!! Cannot wait to try this. The ingredients are simple enough too!
We just started following you! We saw you on food gawker!!
Love,
Amy & Tiff
http://chickswholovetoeat.blogspot.com/
This looks so good!
I am hopeless with edamame – I cannot resist them! This sounds like a perfect summer meal!
Its 9:30 in the morning and I am just checking up on my inbox and suddenly drooling. This sounds so delicious. I love curry and everything else just looks light and wonderful. I can say I know what Ill be making very soon (like for dinner).
This sounds so good. I would be right there with my chopsticks waiting for this to hit the table, too.
I adore rice noodles. There is something about them that makes me want to finish them off even while I am cooking. The beans and the shrimp are again a favorite. All combined in one, is a bowl to savor!
So wishing I had this for lunch today! Your pictures are gorgeous and the recipe looks fantastic!
Your kids sound so cute, running for their chopsticks! I love Corinne Trang – I actually had the pleasure of taking a class with her a number of years ago. Nice, simple recipe.
Looks and sounds lovely…pasta is one of my favorite go to dishes for summer; love it with shrimp and peas (my edamame!).
So glad I found this one! What a good one to have in the arsenal when you have kids (or picky husbands!)…
this looks brilliant!!! i want some of this right now please….:) thank you for sharing this.
I’m drooling over this picture. I love seafoods and this would satisfy my cravings.