This Malaysian red curry noodle recipe is a perfect quick vegetarian dinner recipe. With the help of Grumpy Ginger’s Malaysian red curry paste, you only need about 30 minutes for a quick, tasty dinner.
What is Malaysian red curry paste?
Wet spice blends–also known as rempah–are common throughout Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysian and Indonesian cooking. Making these wet blends at home is a laborious endeavor and can require dozens of ingredients–including spices, alliums, and plenty of chilies.
Buying high-quality pastes is a great way for home cooks to bring complex flavors of Malaysian cooking to their homes. Whether you go with Grumpy Ginger’s fiery Malaysian red curry or their mild Malaysian red curry, you’ll love the way these noodles taste. If you simply can’t wait for Grumpy Ginger to ship to you, you can always use a store-bought Thai red curry paste instead. Be mindful of the fact that many Thai curry pastes are not vegetarian, and the flavor profile will be quite different. If you’d like a primer on Thai pastes, check out my post here.
How to make this vegetarian noodle recipe:
You need just a handful of ingredients, including:
- Vegetables: I keep it simple with mushrooms, store-bought grated carrots, and shallot. Any stir-fry veggie will work here, like broccoli florets, snap peas, or sliced peppers. I finish with microgreens, but cilantro or scallions would be great.
- Red curry paste: I recommend Grumpy Ginger, but experiment and use your favorite paste!
- Noodles: Your favorite noodle variety will work here. I used dry udon noodles because I had them on hand. Rice noodles, glass noodles, ramen, or even lo mein noodles taste delicious.
- Jammy eggs: Use the boiling water from the noodles to cook up the eggs!
To make it, follow just a few short steps:
- Step 1: Fry the vegetables in batches, starting with the mushrooms.
- Step 2: Add the paste and cook until fragrant.
- Step 3: Add a little water (or coconut milk to temper the heat of the paste) and simmer as you cook the noodles.
- Step 4: Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Use a spider strainer to remove the noodles and rinse them.
- Step 5: To the boiling noodle water, add the eggs and cook to your desired doneness. The cook time will depend on whether you like soft, jammy, or hard-boiled. Add them to an ice bath and then peel.
- Step 6: Finish it up! Toss the noodles with the sauced veggies and cook until well-coated. Serve with the eggs and microgreens on top.
Malaysian Red Curry Noodles
Equipment
- Skillet or wide pot
- Large pot
- Spider strainer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 shallot, peeled and sliced
- ¾ cup grated carrots
- 1–2 tablespoons spicy Malaysian red curry paste
- ½ cup water or a 7-ounce can coconut cream
- 12 ounces dry noodles such as rice, udon, soba, or ramen
- 4 eggs
- Microgreens, sliced scallions, or minced cilantro, for serving
- Black sesame seeds, for serving
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the mushrooms:
- Place a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, turning occasionally, for 8–10 minutes or until all excess water has been released and evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the oil to the skillet and let the mushrooms sizzle for 1–3 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
Sauté the carrots and shallot:
- Add the shallot and grated carrots and cook for 5 minutes, turning regularly, until the shallot softens.
- Add the curry paste and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
Cook the noodles:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Transfer them to a sieve using tongs or a spider strainer, and then rinse under cold water.
Boil the eggs:
- Add the eggs to the boiling water and cook to your desired doneness, 6 minutes for soft-boiled or a little longer for jammy eggs.
- Transfer to an ice bath and then peel and cut in half.
Finish the noodles:
- Turn the heat on the sauce to medium-high. Add the noodles and toss to coat, adding more water if needed. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Divide the noodles between shallow bowls. Place an egg on each dish and arrange the microgreens around the egg. Serve with black sesame seeds. Enjoy!
