Rice Chowmein

Made with rice, a naturally gluten-free, low-fat grain, with no maida added, for a soft, silky and easy-to-eat noodle.

Pack sizes

200g
400g

On the pack

Light & Gluten Free
Made from Pure Rice Flour
Soft & Silky Texture
No Added Preservatives
Birbhum's Finest Rice

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From the pack to the plate

The Singapore Noodles That Singapore Did Not Invent

Ask for Singapore Noodles in Singapore and you may be met with a puzzled look.

Yet across Hong Kong, Britain, Australia and North America, the name is instantly recognisable: fine rice noodles turned golden with curry powder and tossed with prawns, egg, roast meat and crisp vegetables.

The explanation lies not in Singapore, but most probably in Hong Kong.

By the middle of the twentieth century, Hong Kong’s cafés were creating cosmopolitan menus that freely combined Cantonese cooking with foreign ingredients and ideas. French Toast might appear beside Fried Rice, noodles and dishes named after distant cities. Singapore Noodles were being served in Hong Kong by the 1940s and appeared on the menu of the celebrated Mido Café when it opened in 1950.

The choice of name seems to have been imaginative rather than geographical. To Hong Kong diners, “Singapore” suggested somewhere tropical, colourful and richly spiced. Cantonese cooks took familiar rice vermicelli and added curry powder, giving the noodles their characteristic yellow colour and gentle warmth. Prawns, egg, char siu and vegetables completed the dish.

Singapore itself has a long tradition of cooking rice vermicelli, locally called bee hoon. Singaporean Fried Bee Hoon, however, is generally prepared without the curry powder that defines the internationally familiar Singapore Noodles.

The dish nevertheless travelled extraordinarily well. As Cantonese restaurants spread around the world, Singapore Noodles went with them. Cooks adapted the vegetables and proteins to whatever was locally available, but the essential combination of fine rice noodles, curry seasoning and high-heat stir-frying remained.

It may be named after a country that did not invent it, but that does not make Singapore Noodles any less authentic. It is authentic to another great culinary tradition: the ability of travelling cooks to combine ingredients, memories and imagination to create something new.

The result is a dish with roots in Hong Kong, the name of Singapore and a home almost everywhere.

Singapore Style Prawn Rice Chowmien

Fine rice noodles, succulent prawns, soft ribbons of egg and crisp vegetables—all tossed with the gentle warmth of curry powder. Despite its name, this colourful Cantonese favourite was created in Hong Kong rather than Singapore.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Singapore Style Prawn Rice Chowmien, serving suggestion — Serving suggestion

You will need

150 g Granvia Rice Chowmien
125 g prawns, peeled and cleaned
2 eggs
2½ tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small carrot, cut into fine strips
½ red or green capsicum, cut into fine strips
¼ cup thinly sliced French beans or bean sprouts
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
2 spring onions, whites and greens separated
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp vinegar
½ tsp sugar
2 tbsp water
Salt and black pepper, as required
½ tsp sesame oil, optional

If curry powder is unavailable

Combine 1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, ¼ tsp turmeric and a small pinch of chilli powder.

From pack to plate

Prepare the Rice Chowmien
Cook the Granvia Rice Chowmien according to the instructions on the pack. Drain while the noodles are still slightly firm and spread them out. Rice noodles soften further when stir-fried, so take care not to overcook them.
Mix the seasoning
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water in a small bowl.
Cook the prawns
Season the prawns lightly with salt and pepper. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a wok and stir-fry them over high heat until they turn pink and are just cooked. Remove and keep aside.
Make the egg ribbons
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add another teaspoon of oil to the wok and cook the eggs as a thin omelette. Remove, roll loosely and cut into strips.
Stir-fry the vegetables
Heat the remaining oil until hot. Add the garlic, ginger and spring-onion whites. Stir for a few seconds before adding the onion, carrot and beans. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the capsicum.
Wake up the curry
Add the curry powder directly to the hot wok and stir for about 10 seconds, just until fragrant. Do not let it burn.
Bring everything together
Add the cooked Granvia Rice Chowmien and the prepared seasoning. Toss continuously over high heat until the noodles are evenly coloured and the liquid has been absorbed.
Finish and serve
Return the prawns and egg ribbons to the wok. Add the optional sesame oil and spring-onion greens, toss briefly and serve immediately.

The Singapore Noodles Secret

This should be a dry, fragrant stir-fry—not a saucy bowl of noodles. Prepare every ingredient before heating the wok, cook over high heat and toss gently so that the fine rice noodles remain separate.