Glass Noodles

[fooey]

Tell me all about your favorite glass noodle dishes, please, both hot and cold, hot, spicy, all ethnic cuisines, especially Southeast Asia.

If you have books or links to recipes, that would be just spiffy!

Edited August 31, 2009 by fooey (log)

[Jenni]

No recipe, sorry, but I often make a hot and sour soup (not a specific kind, just a vaguely east asian soup lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves etc. that is hot and sour) and drop them in at the last minute. Makes the soup much heartier.

Then of course there's Korean Chapchae. I make a veggie version, but you of course could use meat. Here is a sample recipe (I have not tried this particular one): http://koreanfood.about.com/od/riceandnood.../r/chapchae.htm

[Darienne]

We devour a lot of Hot and Sour soup, with lots of cellophane noodles in it. My basic recipe comes from my favorite dear old cookbook, Regional Cooking of China by Margaret Gin and Alfred E. Castle, but of course I depart from the recipe according to what's on hand and what we feel like .

[fooey]

My favorite is yam wun sen or Spicy Cellophane Noodle Salad.

It has cellophane noodles, coconut milk, minced pork, shrimp, fish sauce, lime juice, pickled garlic (although I usually just use regular), shallots, red chilis, Chinese celery, tomato, black tree ear mushrooms, and cilantro.

It's just remarkable and remarkably simple.

Find it in Thai Home Cooking, p. 105.

[v. gautam]

If you go to the thread Thai Cooking at Home in this forum, posts 797 & 802 refer to Kasma's Bean Thread in a Clay Pot and recipes that are similar to hers.

Since bean thread is a synonym, while searching recipes, you could use that too. If variations of Korean and Thai are not out of the picture, both, the sweet potato noodles and the bean thread, make varieties of Chap chae to suit your taste and what is in the house.

There is a flat, broader bean thread from Taiwan. You may ask for it in groceries and try it too, for a change of texture. So then you have 3 types of "cellophane" noodles with 3 thicknesses and textures to play with: the thin bean thread, the thicker sweet potato noodles from Korea, and the flat, broader ones from Taiwan.

Whatever stir fry etc. you are cooking, if you have some bean thread soaked in water, drain and snipped into manageable strands [just hack away with a pair of sciccors, hack hack as per Pete Seeger, 2 whacks] and drop into the bubbling liquid that is accumulaing. This is after you have added some final seasoning, be it oyster sauce, hoisin hot, soy, bean baste, sweet bean paste, Sriracha sauce, final touch of fish sauce, hint of sesame oil etc. Singly or in some judicious combination and quantity, better less than more. Now drop in your noodles and move around. They may seem waterlogged [you woud use at least 2-3 little bundles, 1oz. each?, in a 14 inch wok] and dragging their heels, but wait, shutting off the heat. You may even cover for a while, addin any fresh herbs like basil, mint, chopped scallions, but then you need to adust cooking time for vegetables so as not to overcook. In a couple of minutes, the noodles will have gained resilience and dried out. You may add a hint of fresh ground peppercorns, if warranted by the dish.

So this is just like a "lo mein" except with bean thread. You need to soak in water for a couple of minutes only, so it is much less hassle than flour noodles.

Edited September 3, 2009 by v. gautam (log)

[fooey]

So then you have 3 types of "cellophane" noodles with 3 thicknesses and textures to play with: the thin bean thread, the thicker sweet potato noodles from Korea, and the flat, broader ones from Taiwan.

Thanks v. gautam.

I noticed all three varieties of noodles you mentioned at my grocer, so I will try all of them. It sounds like these are all very adaptable to a number of cuisines. I'll definitely take a look at the other thread re: Thai Home Cooking. I really love these noodles! They're so easy, so fast.

[v. gautam]

You are most welcome. I too love these 'cellophane' type noodles prepared from various starches,and use them in vaguely Asian ways that nevertheless please me. One such is a modified spring roll that is not fried but microwaved with a loose cover on, either plastic or similar,to prevent drying out.It is not high in fat,full of veggies & pleasant to my taste with a dip of sriracha, so not too much salt. You soak some thin bean thread bundles and snip them. Add grated zuchhini, grated carrot, or some finely sliced napa or savoy cabbage/bok chok/choi sum, sliced soaked shiitake, ditto some wood ears, some scallions. To this base, if you want to get more elaborate,you could add soft/silken tofu mashed up with hands, some raw ground chicken or turkey,chopped shrimp, dry shrimp powder [ sold in bottles or make your own],etc., just one or two maybe? Season with some fish sauce, hint of sesame oil, ditto soy sauce, salt, pinch sugar, fresh ground black pepper. Let sit & roll up envelope style into spring roll skins [the thin flour 9 inch froen sheets,not egg rolls ones]. Arrange like cigars on a plate, cover, sprinkle with the lightest touchof water ifdrying out and microwave until just cooked and wrinkled. Sort of a lower calorie version of the lovely fried spring rolls.

http://thaifoodtonight.com/thaifoodtonight/recipes-MungBeanNoodleSalad.html

[Shalmanese]

They're excellent in a cold noodle salad. Mix with shredded carrot, cucumber, spring onion, cilantro, chillis, maybe a bit of shredded chicken or dried tofu for protein. The dressing consists of chinese black vinegar, soy sauce, sugar & sesame oil.