TOM YUM FRIED BIHUN(RICE NOODLES)

    Tom Yum Bihun or Tom Yum Rice Noodles is a simple stir fry prepared with Rice Noodles & Tom Yum Paste. This flavour-filled noodles recipe is famous for its light, sweet yet savoury and sourish taste. Certainly very appealing for those who enjoy Thai food & especially this Noodle recipe is for the ones who love Tom Yum. What’s more, it is so easy to prepare this delicious dish.  
 

    Locally, Rice Noodles/Rice Vermicelli is called “Bihun” or “Beehoon” or “Meehoon”. During my initial days in Malaysia I have literally fumbled upon the names and it took some time for me to literally know what all these Bihun, Mee Hoon all mean. And as I said before I was awestruck by the variety of Noodles available in the local market. Rice Noodles are usually dry ones and comes in thin and bundled together in a packet. It is inexpensive and easy to cook. I even use these Rice Noodles to make Lemon Sevai. Though a bit of All-purpose flour is present in these Rice Noodles, the texture and taste do total justice to Sevai Recipe too.
 

    Well, coming back to Tom Yum, it is a dish, so synonymous with Thai Food. As such, it found its origin in Thailand and Laos. But it has found its way and popularity in almost all South East Asian Countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and Cambodia. All the more it is one of the most sought Thai Food around the world.

    I feel that Thai food is so versatile, created to appeal to all six senses, not only with overwhelming flavours but also with fragrant aromas and visually pleasing presentations. Least to mention the fiery heat from their indigenous Thai Chillies.  Thai food combines pungent herbs and condiments like Garlic, Galangal, Lemongrass, Kaffir limes, Thai Basil, Fish sauce and Shrimp Paste gracefully, that no one taste of a particular ingredient overpowers the other. Thai Cuisine has a beautiful combination of Sweet, Sour, Spicy and Salty tastes, equally balanced that it makes the food vibrant with flavours.  

    Just one dish, 'TOM YUM' is more than enough to justify the overall feeling and taste of Thai Food. If you are a fan of Tom Yum Soup, then I am sure that you would love this Tom Yum Fried Rice Noodles too. With more concentrated flavours of the Tom Yum comes from the special notes of Citrusy flavours from Lemon Grass, Lime and Kaffir Lime Leaves. But the overpowering flavour comes from the Thai Chilli Paste and the Fish Sauce used in Tom Yum Fried Bihun(Rice Noodles).

For TOM YUM SOUP & TOM YUM FRIED RICE, Click here...


Cuisine - Thai
Course - Main
Spice Level  - Spicy
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 20 - 30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 25 -30 Minutes

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HOW TO MAKE TOM YUM FRIED BIHUN (RICE NOODLES)

TOM YUM FRIED BIHUN(RICE NOODLES)

INGREDIENTS:

For Tom Yum Fried Bihun(Rice Noodles):

Rice Noodles - 400 Gms

Eggs - 2 Nos.

Shrimps - 10-12 Nos.

Mushrooms - 5-6 Pieces

Onions - 1 No.

Garlic - 3-4 Cloves

Tomato - 1 No

Bird's Eye Chillies - 2 Nos.

Bean Sprouts(Taugeh) - a handful

Chicken Stock Powder - 1 Tspn

Oil - 3 Tbspn

For Tom Yum Paste:

Thai Chilli Paste - 3 Tbspn

Galangal - 5 Slices

Lemon Grass - 2 Stalks

Kaffir Lime Leaves - 5 Leaves

Thai/Bird's Eye Chillies - 3-4 Nos.

Fish Sauce - 1 1/2 Tbspn 

Soy Sauce - 1 1/2 Tbspn 

Lime Juice - 2 Tbspn

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1 Tspn 

To Garnish:

Spring Onions - Few

Coriander Leaves - Few.

METHOD: 

TOM YUM FRIED BIHUN(RICE NOODLES)

For Tom Yum Paste:

• Cut Lemon Grass Stalks into small pieces, use just the white part of it.
• Remove the centre rib and thinly Slice Kaffir Lime Leaves.
• Peel and thinly slice Galangal.
• Pound the above ingredients along with Thai Chillies into a fine paste in a Stone Mortar and Pestle.
• Add the remaining ingredients mentioned under 'For Tom Yum Paste' to the ground paste and mix well.

NOTE: *Alternatively, grind all the ingredients in a mixer-grinder/blender with very less water into a fine paste. 

For Tom Yum Fried Bihun: 

• Soak rice vermicelli for about 30 minutes or till soft and drain well. 
• Peel, De-vein and Clean the Shrimps.
• Heat 2 Tspn of Oil in a large pan, fry or scramble the Eggs.  
• Remove it from the pan and keep it aside.
• Heat the remaining oil and sauté finely chopped Onions, Garlic and Thai Chillies until onions turn translucent. 
• Next add the sliced Lemon Grass, kaffir leaves & give a quick stir,
• Add finely chopped Tomatoes and cook until it turns soft.
• Add in the Shrimps and Mushrooms to the above and toss it briefly in low flame or until Shrimps are cooked. 
• Dish out and set aside.
• Reheat wok on medium heat, & add in some more oil.
• Add in the ground Tom Yum paste and fry for a while.
• Stir fry until aromatic and make sure it doesn’t burn.
• Quickly add enough hot water into the paste mixture and bring to a boil. 
• Next, add chicken stock powder and mix well. 
• Add the soaked Rice Noodles to the above. 
• Use a pair of long chopsticks/tongs to loosen up the Rice Noodles.
• Mix & stir well until each strand of Rice Noodle is well coated into the Tom Yum Paste.
• Now, Push aside the Rice Noodles & add in the bean sprouts and thin strips of Carrots. 
• Now gently cover the Bean Sprouts & carrots with a few scoops of Rice Noodles.
• Let cook for 1 minute. Then toss and mix well. 
• Now add the dished out Shrimps & mushroom to the wok & give a quick stir.
• Stir in the Scrambled Eggs to the Rice Noodles. 
• Adjust the seasonings. 
• Fry it on a high flame for a minute or two.
• Switch off the flame. 
• Garnish Tom Yum Fried Bihun(Rice Noodles) with Spring Onions and Coriander Leaves.
• Serve Tom Yum Fried Bihun(Rice Noodles) hot with any side dish of your choice.
• Tom Yum Fried Bihun goes well with Thai Style Fried Egg, Pandan Chicken etc.,

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TOM YUM FRIED BIHUN(RICE NOODLES)

 

NOTES:

• Soak the Rice Vermicelli for at least 20-30 Minutes & drain well before adding it into the recipe.
• Tom Yum Fried Bihun recipe has a lot of Sauces in it, so adjust the salt in the recipe.
• Also, make sure to saute the Sauce until oil separates from it, this is to ensure that it's less saucy and more flavourful.
• Adjust the amount of Thai Chillies to suit your spice level.
• Can add any vegetable of your choice to this Fried Bihun Recipe.
• Can substitute Shrimps with Chicken Pieces, Fish, Fish Cakes or any other Seafood. 
• Can fry the Eggs and use them as a side dish or scramble them up and mix along with the fried bihun.