Shawarma “Singapore” Noodles With Corn and Cauliflower

[The_King]

 

 

This dish is a riff on Singapore-style curry noodles. Our whole family adores Singapore noodles, especially my mother’s version—when my son Huck was a baby, he loved them so much she made them for his first birthday party. This particular recipe is a bit of a happy accident—it came about one day when I was making Singapore noodles and I spotted a bottle of New York Shuk’s shawarma spice on the condiment tray next to my wok. I unscrewed the lid and took a whiff—I loved the smell so much, I impulsively decided to use the shawarma instead of the curry powder. The result was spectacular, and suddenly, shawarma noodles became a thing! Of course, if you want to make traditional Singapore noodles, simply substitute the shawarma spice with a mild curry powder. Also, I've included individual spices here, but if you have premade bottled shawarma spice, you can definitely use that (I recommend New York Shuk’s).

 

 

 

YIELD

Serves 4–6

INGREDIENTS

1. Noodles
   • Vegetable or other neutral oil
   • 1 onion, finely sliced
   • 1 small (about 1⅓ pounds / 600 g) cauliflower, cut into florets
   • 1 garlic clove, grated
   • 7 ounces (200 g) corn kernels (from 2 corn cobs)
   • 10½ ounces (300 g) rice vermicelli, soaked in warm water for 5–10 minutes
   • 1 cup (155 g) fresh or frozen peas
   • 2 scallions, finely sliced
   • Sea salt and white pepper
   • Maggi Seasoning Sauce, to serve (optional)
2. Shawarma spice
   • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
   • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
   • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
   • 2 teaspoons sea salt
   • Black pepper

PREPARATION

1. 1. To make the shawarma spice, combine all the ingredients in a small jar and shake well.
   2. Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil, then the onion and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the cauliflower, season with sea salt and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until just tender. Add the garlic and corn and toss for another minute. Remove from the wok or pan and set aside.
   3. Drain the vermicelli. Return the wok or pan to medium heat, add about 2 tablespoons of oil and the shawarma spice and cook for 15–20 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add the vermicelli, along with a bit more oil, and toss until the noodles are heated through and thoroughly coated in the spice mix. Return the cauliflower mixture to the pan, along with the peas, 2–3 big pinches of sea salt and a pinch of white pepper, and toss until everything is well mixed and the peas are cooked, about 1–2 minutes.
   4. Remove from the heat and add the scallions. Taste and season with sea salt and white pepper. Sprinkle over a few drops of Maggi, if you like, and serve.