These spicy and sour rice noodles, 酸辣河粉 (Suān là hé fěn) are made from homemade flat rice noodles. They are then drenched in a spicy and tangy sauce which makes it a perfect meal for a summer afternoon.
There are so many ways to serve noodles with, soups, stir-fries, and dry tossed. The possibilities are endless when it comes to serving these noodles.
This recipe is inspired by the famous liang pi and hot and sour noodles. The flavor combo is out of this world. It’s spicy, sour with a touch of sweetness. Slurping a bowl of this is the ultimate need on a hot summer day.
How to make Spicy and Sour Rice noodles
Part 1: Make the noodles
Instead of liang pi, I used my favorite flat rice noodles made from rice flour, tapioca starch, and water (similar to my Kuay Teow recipe).
Combine the dry ingredients together in a bowl and add a pinch of salt.
Then, add the water and mix until there are no lumps. You may sieve it through a fine-mesh for a silkier noodle texture.
To cook the noodles, use a large wok that fits a 1/4 sheet baking pan snuggly in it. The best ratio for the thickness of the noodle that I love is 1/3 cup of batter for 1/4 sheet baking pan. Please feel free to adjust the thickness by adding more or less of the batter.
Grease the baking pan with a very thin layer of oil. Note: Do not brush the pan with too much oil or the batter will separate from the pan.
Add the batter, give it a shake so it covers the entire pan.
Steam over high heat for 2-3 minutes. You should see large bubbles puff up when you remove the wok’s lid.
Tip: Always stir the batter before each steam to ensure you have an even mix.
Remove the pan and set it on a cold water bath. Then, brush a thin layer of oil on the top to prevent them from drying out.
Then, allow to cool completely before removing or cutting them.
Part 2: Make the sauce
The sauce is a simple mixture of minced garlic, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, ground pepper, mushrooms seasoning, and hot water/broth.
Tip: Crush the minced garlic once you added the toasted sesame oil to release its flavor.
Part 3: Serve the Spicy and Sour Rice Noodles
Place cut noodles in a bowl and pour the sauce over it.
Top with shredded cucumber slices, toasted peanuts, chopped cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds.
Mix everything together and serve cold or at room temperature.
Sauces variations
Other than the sauces I used in this recipe, you can always mix and match a variety of others that you like. Here are some that I’ve tried and love:
1. Sesame paste – similar to tahini, but it’s thicker and slightly sweetened. It has a wonderful nutty aroma.
2. Nut butters – crunchy or creamy nut butters go well in this dish. Simply mix a tablespoon with soy sauce and stir with water until dissolved.
Please note that you’ll need more liquid to dilute the above. When you first mix them in the water, it may look like they are not binding. But after a few whisks, it will turn into a smooth paste.
Other rice noodles recipes:
This Spicy and Sour rice noodles are
- Vegan
- Easily customizable
- Refreshing and delicious
- Spicy with a touch of tang
- Slurpy good
- Easy to make and Tasty to eat
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!
Spicy and sour rice noodles – 酸辣河粉
Equipment
- ¼ sheet baking pan
Ingredients
Flat Rice Noodles
- 120 g [1 cup] rice flour
- 40 g [⅓ cup] tapioca starch
- 315 g water
- a pinch of salt
- neutral oil for greasing
Sauce
- 2½ tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Chenkiang vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon mushrooms seasoning
- dash of ground pepper
- 3 tablespoons hot water
Garnishes
- cucumber slices
- chopped cilantro
- toasted sesame seeds
- chile oil with sediment used Lao Gan Ma
- ¼ cup toasted peanuts
Instructions
- Combine rice flour, tapioca starch, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
- Gradually pour in the water and whisk continously until the mixture turns into a thin batter.
- Prepare a wok or fry pan that is big enough to fit the steaming pan or plate snuggly. (I used ¼ sheet baking pan).
- Fill the wok with water and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Lightly grease the bottom of a baking pan or plate and add in about ⅓ cup batter. (Don't over grease the baking pan or the batter will separate from the pan).
- Tilt or shake the pan a little so the batter covers the bottom of the pan. (Be sure to stir the batter before each steam.)
- Transfer the pan to the wok and let it fit snuggly or float on the boiling water.
- Cover the pan with a lid and steam for 2-3 minutes.
- When ready, uncover and place the pan on a cold water bath.
- Brush the top of the noodle sheet with oil.
- Using a spatula, lift the edges to loosen up the noodles. [You may store the noodles at this point].
- To make the sauce, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved.
- To serve, cut noodles into your desired width and place them in a bowl.
- Pour the sauce over, top with cucumber slices, sesame seeds, chile oil, toasted sesame seeds, and cilantro. Mix everything up and serve at room temperature or cold.
Video
Notes
- You can always make the noodles the night before and save them in an airtight container. This way, you’ll just need to make the sauce the next day.
- I used Chenkiang vinegar or Chinese black vinegar. Rice vinegar is a great substitute.
Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference.
Would love to make my own rice noodles. I have a work and 1/4 sheet pans but where did you get that clever tool to remove the 1/4 sheet pan from the wok without burning yourself? So clever!
Thank you
This was awesome! I didn’t make the noodles from scratch BUT the sauce was davine.
I meant “Divine” 🙂
Thanks so so much Donimique! So glad you liked it.
Delicious and refreshing recipe that is perfect for those hot summer days. I took your advice and added a bit of nut butter to the sauce as I did not have any nuts on hand. It was bursting with flavour! So excited to make this one again soon!
Thanks so so much, Charlotte! This is indeed those summer noodles dish that I love to make. I’m so excited to hear you loved this recipe. Thank you so much and stay well. Best, WoonHeng
This looks amazing! If I wanted to make it ahead of time (for a work lunch) would I need to store the sauce and noodles separately?
Excited to try this!
You are correct, Manda. :0) that would be great for lunch. This noodle does break easily or brittle once cooled in the fridge. So, to warm it up, place a damp paper towel on the bowl and microwave to soften it before adding the sauce. 🙂
I made this dish using rice noodles I had on hand from the grocery store and it was amazing. Can’t wait to try with homemade noodles some day, but in the meantime you can find me pouring the sauce over everything I eat.
Thank you so much, Shannon. I love the sauce too, it’s one of my quick sauce for noodles or dumplings. Hope you get to make some homemade rice noodles too. it’s yum!
Delicious recipe! I used store bought noodles, but now would like to try making yours. Would my brown rice flour work ok or should I wait til I can purchase white rice flour?
Thanks so much!
Tracy
Thanks so much, Tracy! I haven’t tried it with brown rice flour but some readers did. The texture is a little more gritty. I think it also depends on the brown rice flour blend, if they are super fine, you will have great smooth layers. Or you can sieve them to make it finer. Hope that helps. Thanks a lot and let me know how it goes. Best, WoonHeng
I made this some weeks ago and I loved it. I’m still intimidated with making the rice noodles but I had hofan on hand so I just used that. I didn’t have Lao Gan Ma then but I bought one yesterday just so I can make this again. This is gonna be my lunch later! 😍
Thanks so so much, Paige! Definitely works with store-bought hor fan and glad you gave it a try. 🙂 Thank you! Best, WoonHeng