To prepare dried noodles for Pad Thai, simply soak them in room temperature water until the noodles are pliable yet firm. When you bite off a piece, it should be chewable yet feel unpleasant to eat. [The soaking time varies depending on the width of the noodles.
Recipes That Use Rice Noodles
- 1 package dried vermicelli rice noodles (angel hair)
- 1 package dried flat rice noodles (pad thai)
- 1 package fresh wide flat rice noodles
- Room temperature water, as needed
Steps to Make It
These are the thinnest of all rice noodles. They are popular in Vietnamese and Thai cuisines and can be used in salads, stir-fries, and soups. Vermicelli has a coarse texture and is not as smooth as other noodles, which gives them an al dente texture.
- Prepare a deep bowl filled with room temperature water. Add the vermicelli to the water and soak for 3 minutes until it becomes opaque.
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The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck - As they soak, you can use your hands to pick the noodles apart to loosen them.
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The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck - Strain the noodles. You will notice that they dont stick to each other.
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The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck If you want to use them in a noodle soup dish, bring your broth to a boil, add the noodles to the dish, and quickly turn off the heat. Serve immediately.
How To Use
- You can use them within a few hours of rehydrating them in stir-fries or salads by simply adding them to your pan or bowl. If you add them to a stir-fry, you can use your spatula or tongs to carefully separate the noodles as you finish off your dish. These noodles keep well in dry dishes that dont have too much sauce or liquid. They also keep their texture well, even as leftovers.
- If you want to use them in a noodle soup dish, bring your broth to a boil, add the noodles to the dish, and quickly turn off the heat. Serve immediately.
How to cook flat rice noodles (Bánh Phở) from a package
FAQ
What happens if you don’t soak rice noodles?
Cooking fresh rice noodles in boiling water can make them too soft and mushy. Soaking them in warm water is a gentler way to cook them and results in perfectly cooked noodles every time.
Should Pad Thai be wet or dry?
Real pad thai should be: Stir-fried in a hot wok, so the noodles come out dry with a little smokiness, not wet.
How to make Pad Thai noodles chewy?
When it comes time to cook said noodles, think al dente, or as Yenbamroong says, cooked through but still a bit chewy. “Don’t overcook the noodles—some people boil them before throwing them in the wok,” he warns. “They get mushy and sometimes break up into little shards. Pad Thai noodles should have chew.”