Cellophane Bean Thread Transparent Noodles, Chinese Fensi

Asian Chinese Traditional Noodles For Soups & Salads

$5.99
Quantity : / Select? :
/ Add to Cart

Bean thread noodles or cellophane noodles are translucent with a smooth texture. They are flavorless but tasty as they readily absorb flavors and add a smooth texture to soups, salads, stir-fries and even sometimes desserts. Cellophane noodles is made from mung bean flour and water and sold dried in bundles. The noodles should be soaked in hot water and then boiled briefly before using. The dried noodles can also be deep fried to make a crunchy garnishes. (other names for this noodle include silver noodles, slippery noodles, glass noodles; Chinese: fen si, sai fun; Filipino: pancit sotanghon; Indonesian: su un; Vietnamese: bun tau). They are never served on their own, but are added to soups or braised dishes or are deep-fried and used as a garnish. Once they are soaked they become soft and slippery, springy and translucent. Since they are a vegetable product, they are popularly used in vegetarian dishes.

(close)

Asian noodles are generally boiled, although they may also be deep-fried in oil until crispy. Boiled noodles may then be stir fried, served with sauce or other accompaniments, or served in soup, often with meat and other ingredients. Chinese noodles also cook very quickly, generally requiring less than 5 minutes to become al dente and some taking less than a minute to finish cooking, with thinner noodles requiring less time to cook.

Freshly made noodles can sometimes be seen in China, fluttering on lines in the breeze like long thread-like skeins. They are available dried, and are very fine and white.

VIETNAMESE-STYLE BEAN-THREAD NOODLES
Serves: 4

2-ounce bundle bean-thread noodles
2 tablespoons peanut or light olive oil
1 largess onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
2 heaping cups diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup very fresh mung bean sprouts
1/2 pound firm tofu, diced
2 to 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, to taste
Dried hot red pepper flakes to taste
Salt to taste
Chopped peanuts for garnish
Thinly sliced fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional

Immerse the bundle of noodles in cold water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, then drain. When cool enough to handle, place on a cutting board and cut in several directions to create shorter lengths.

In the meantime, heat the oil in a stir-fry pan or wok. Add the onion and stir-fry over medium heat until translucent. Turn up the heat, add the garlic and cabbage and stir-fry until the cabbage is tender-crisp and lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sprouts and continue to fry, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes are soft and the sprouts tender-crisp, another 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the vinegar, tofu, and red pepper flakes, and cellophane noodles. Cook, stirring, until everything is well heated through. Serve at once

M A Y W E S U G G E S T ?