Chinese · Authentic-ish Chinese
Singapore Noodles
492 kcal a serving, against 747 for the traditional version. That is 255 kcal off, or 34%, with 42.1g of protein. Serves 4. 25 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A massive pile of thin dried rice noodles soaked in hot water, then fried in a heavy glug of vegetable oil. Loaded with fatty, sugar-glazed char siu pork, prawns and scrambled egg, all aggressively seasoned with curry powder and light soy sauce.
What changed, and what each change costs
250g of fatty char siu pork for lean pork loin rubbed in hoisin
Pork shoulder holds a huge amount of fat. Pork loin is pure lean muscle. A quick marinade of hoisin and five-spice gives it that sweet takeaway edge.
What it costs you. You lose the charred, sticky bark you only get from roasting fatty meat for hours. The texture is firmer and less forgiving.
80g of sunflower oil down to 15g
Heavy oil drags the whole dish down. A decent non-stick frying pan and a splash of water do the job of softening the noodles just fine.
What it costs you. The noodles will not have that slick, glossy mouthfeel. What you've got is a dry-spiced dinner. A greasy late-night cure anymore is a different dish and you know where to find it.
300g of rice noodles down to 200g, while adding more prawns
Dropping the starch and piling in lean shellfish shifts the balance entirely. You get a massive bowl of food that actually keeps you full.
What it costs you. You have to chew through a lot more meat and vegetables. If you are only here for a giant mountain of carbs, you'll be disappointed.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 747 | 492 |
| Protein | 33.3g | 42.1g |
| Fat | 36.3g | 10.9g |
| Saturated fat | 7.4g | 2.3g |
| Carbohydrate | 70.3g | 55.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.5g | 8.5g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Chinese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. crustaceans, eggs, soybeans, gluten.
The method is in the book
This hits the exact takeaway craving for bright, spicy, salty noodles. Upping the prawns gives you a huge portion that actually satisfies your hunger. Yes, it lacks the slick of oil that makes the restaurant version slide off your chopsticks, but that's a fair trade for a dinner you can eat without feeling awful the next day. The hoisin pork brings enough sweetness to balance the harsh curry powder perfectly.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Chinese, along with 55 more. Buy the paperback