Shrimp Stir Fry with Rice Noodle Pancakes

Instructions for rice noodle pancakes:

1. Boil noodles as directed on package – do not overcook. Use dried noodles instead of fresh.
2. Drain and rinse noodles with cold water.
3. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons of oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Spread on a pan to cool and dry.
5. When dry and ready to pan-fry, toss noodles in bowl with the 3/4 teaspoon agave, honey or sugar
6. 1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 1/2 tablespoon water.
7. Add the oil to the pan and bring up to medium heat. Add noodles to the pan and let sit for 4-5 minutes. When ready to flip, shake the pan well to loosen the noodles and flip like a pancake. Finish cooking on the other side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Instructions for stir fry sauce:

1. In a small bowl, In a small bowl stir together the 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon palm sugar.
2. In a wok, heat oil over medium, add garlic and onion, stir till fragrant.
3. Add shrimp and mushrooms, stir fry till shrimp is getting some color.
4. Add bell peppers and stir fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add bowl of sauce ingredients to wok and stir.
6. Mix starch in cold water, set aside.
7. Add hot broth to wok and bring to a low boil.
8. Add starch water to wok while stirring gently and bring sauce back to a low boil for 1 minute once the sauce starts to thicken then turn down the heat to low, or turn off if shrimp is cooked through to your liking.
9. Plate fried rice noodles and serve the stir fry shrimp and vegetables on top.
   
   Optional – Cut rice noodle pancake into slices before serving.

Mandatory backstory incoming

And most important note! The featured image with shrimp was cooked by my son Khalil, who kindly jumped in and handled the stir fry portion of the recipe. He’s a killer cook and has enjoyed taking over the kitchen for many years now. I love shopping with him, trying new foods with him, and getting to eat what he cooks up. Hashtag blessed!

I think this post about this dish represents me and what I’m doing with this here blog quite well. I am writing about a recipe I pieced together after trying it at one of my favorite restaurants in Houston, a Vietnamese establishment called Huynh, pronounced pretty closely to ‘hwin.’

This recipe is very much inspired by a favorite restaurant in Houston called Huynh. It features something rather new to my life in the form of pan-fried rice noodle cakes. Crispy, chewy, and really addictive, this dish opened up a whole new take on stir fry for me by providing an option that wasn’t rice or plain noodles.

I’m the kind of person who finds a dish they really like at a restaurant and stays true to that dish forever more. Huynh’s duck salad and beef short ribs with rice had my heart for a long time. Lucky for me, my son ordered this dish and let me try it and I was smitten.

This dish is number 70 on Huynh’s menu and it’s called Mì hoặc Hủ Tiếu Xào Tôm or HTX. I can’t pronounce it even though I tried while Google translate was listening and I haven’t laughed at myself that hard in a long time while reading the results. Somehow I was calling for “Oh Dear Sweet Tom!” or something very similar.

Huynh’s menu reads “Wok-fried crispy flat rice noodle-cake topped with your choice of stir fry. Soft or crispy egg noodles, udon, or soft wide rice noodles available by request.” Then several stir fry options follow and I’m sure all are fantastic. The beef I tried was excellent, but I go with the shrimp and veg and ask for it medium spicy with extra broccoli. They use meaty and savory shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and other veggies, and the shrimp are plump and hearty.

Please forgive the apparent afterthought I’ve given to a lot of the photos. I literally forget I’ve started taking pictures to go with the recipes I’m writing about here. I went back and plated the dish at the top an hour after we’d eaten.

But we got it done and I’m really satisfied with the results. My son was away at college when I made it the first time so getting to cook it with him over his spring break was a real treat. My part of the recipe turned out quite well and his was the perfect option to serve with the noodles.

I told him I wanted to make it extra saucy with broth like I’d done the first time. To create the stir fry topping, I found this video in Vietnamese that seemed similar to Huynh’s number 70. The captions of the ingredients were quite decent.

I also found this article and video by a really cool woman also named Andrea who guides you through the experience of making the rice noodle ‘pancake’ with great expertise. Definitely give her recipe and videos your attentions.