I love Asian instant noodles, there are so many different kinds and flavors. But for the "recipe" I'm sharing with you today, this is my preferred noodle type and brand - MI LAU THAI. The shrimp flavor comes in a red bag as shown below, but the seafood flavor is in a very close reddish-orange package. The seafood flavor lends a completely different flavor profile, which I personally don't like, but of course, you should try both and see which you prefer. If you're allergic to shellfish, there's also a chicken flavor.
Each package will come with the noodles and four flavor packets: one with dehydrated onions, one silver package and two with brownish liquids inside. If you use another brand of instant noodles, you may only get one or two flavor packs. But don't worry and continue on with the next steps.
You will also need cilantro, green onion, white vinegar and Sriracha chili sauce.
There's not much measuring in this recipe, but sometimes I use a soup spoon (approx. 1 tbsp) to measure my vinegar. Most of the time I eyeball it.
(1) Boil water in a pot. Just use enough to cover the noodles. You can also boil your noodles in a saucepan if you're only making one or two packs. Once the water boils, add your dehydrated onions and noodles to the pot. Don't overcook the noodles, maybe 3-5 minutes.
(2) While the water is boiling, I like to empty all my sauce packets into small prep bowls/dishes. The brown liquids get combined and the silver packet gets dumped into a separate bowl.
(3) If the water still hasn't boiled, go ahead and chop your cilantro and onions. How much? It's up to you. I like a lot of greens in my food so I use huge handfuls.
(4) When the noodles are done, strain all the liquid out and give it good it a good shake.
(5) Pour drained noodles into a large nonstick sauce/frying pan and cook on high heat.
(6) Add the brown sauce packets onto the noodles and spread the love. Toss the noodles around to get an even coat around everything. It's okay to let the noodles sit a little while, it fries up and crisps the bottom which I kind of like. If you don't have these packets, just skip straight to the next step.
(7) Do the same with the silver flavor packet. Spread it around and give it quick stir.
(8) Add the vinegar next, it'll make the pan sizzle a little. I typically use 1 big spoonful for every package. For less acidity, just can use less or omit this ingredient altogether. Next squeeze on the Sriracha. Give it a another quick stir, about 30 seconds and you're almost done!
(9) Add chopped cilantro and onion and give everything a good stir.
(10) I made four packages of noodles for this little photo shoot, so I definitely put my lunch into a smaller bowl. Delicious with kim chee too. :)
All photos by Linh Trieu/©Fresh Fish Creative
