How to Cook Rice Noodles Without Them Getting Soggy
Rice noodle dishes are some of the most popular dishes in Asian restaurants—pad si fu, pad thai, pho and mei fan—but making them at home can be tricky if you’re not familiar with them. Don’t worry, though: None of the steps are all that difficult, and once you get the hang of rice noodles, you’ll likely be able to use them in any dish without having to deal with them again. Here are three of my favorite tips for cooking rice noodles without turning them into mush.
What are rice noodles?
Rice noodles can be dry or fresh. They are made by grinding fermented rice and water into a paste, which is formed into noodles and then dried. Once dry they take on a translucent white appearance.
Dry rice noodles are commonly available in most grocery stores. (I’ve seen them everywhere from ShopRite to Whole Foods to Walmart.) They come in three sizes, the largest of which is the least common outside of Asian markets. You can find thin round noodles packaged in large packages; medium-thick flat noodles, wrapped or cut into sticks; or thick flat noodles, wrapped or cut into sticks.
Fresh rice noodles are prepared by laying thin layers of rice, starch and water batter on a tray or pan and steaming the sheets to create tender, chewy, translucent noodles. They are well lubricated so they don’t stick and are packaged in plastic. I’ve never seen fresh rice noodles in large American grocery stores, but they can usually be found in Asian grocery stores. Fresh rice noodles may contain some cornstarch or tapioca starch and are more opaque in color.
The best way to cook rice noodles starts with soaking.
The first step, as written on many packages of rice noodles at major grocery stores, is to boil the noodles before adding them to the stir-fry. The author of these instructions must like soft noodles because it’s the easiest way to get sticky, overcooked rice noodles.
There is no need to pre-cook them. Like most starches (pasta, oats, potatoes), rice starches have a water absorption limit before they burst and become sticky. If you boil them and then add them to a hot pan, you’re bound to burst a few starch balls. This manifests itself as the noodles sticking together and sticking together.
Unlike Italian pasta, which may need to be boiled before using in another dish, dry rice noodles simply require some time to rehydrate in room temperature water. They will become pliable, but their starch will not begin to gelatinize until they reach the heat of a wok or frying pan. This is the easiest and most important step to making the best tasting rice noodles. To do this, place the rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with room temperature water .
Forethought is required here. Soaking usually takes 25 to 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the noodles. To check, after 30 minutes, simply reach out and grab a handful of noodles. They should be soft, but not mushy. If they are still sticking straight out, give them more time. The brand or thickness of the noodles may require this.
It is unlikely that you will overcook the rice noodles. If you run an errand that takes 20 minutes longer than expected, the noodles will be fine. Drain them and they’re ready to fry, or blanch them for a few seconds to make a soup.
Don’t forget to use some oil
Those who are afraid of fat won’t like this step, but you can’t do without oil. Oil is critical to conducting the intense heat of frying as well as keeping the sticky starches from sliding apart. If you’re trying to fry the noodles and they keep sticking to each other and to the pan, try adding another tablespoon of oil to the pan just before you throw them in.
You can also add oil as you go. I used to have an irrational limitation: I thought that the initial amount of oil, before the first ingredient was added, was the only oil I could use during cooking. And only when my mother called me to do this, I realized what I was doing. It just seems like some days the ingredients use more oil than others and you can evaluate and add more.
So when you’re about to add the noodles, take a look at the pan. There should be some visible oil pooling around the ingredients. If the pan is dry, that’s your signal to add a little more.
Protect yourself from excess moisture
The final culprit in the death of rice noodles is too much moisture in the pan. Unless you’re making soup, a pool of liquid in a wok or frying pan will have the same effect as boiling noodles and then trying to fry them.
If your vegetables are releasing a lot of moisture or you’ve added too much sauce to the pan and it doesn’t seem to be cooking, don’t add the noodles yet. Wait until the moisture evaporates, or, as a last resort, pour the liquid into the sink. Return the pan to the burner, add a little oil and now you are ready to add the noodles. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Please note: if the vegetables pool, your pan may be too full. Choose a larger pan or cook a smaller batch next time.