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You can't beat these easy curry rice vermicelli for a quick lunch or dinner. Shrimp and edamame add a good dose of protein.

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 pepper 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.

How to make curry rice vermicelli:

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:

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

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