A bowl of freshly made flavourful noodles can help us forget all our worries. While many of us love ordering noodles from our favourite restaurants, making them at home can also be a treat. When you prepare noodle dishes at home, you can experiment with sauces and seasonings. You can come up with your fusion recipes as well. Most of us don't prepare the noodles from scratch - but buy the plain, readymade variety. In this case, the first step is boiling the noodles, of course. But what if you end up boiling too much noodles? Or what if you already have leftover boiled noodles and are wondering what to do with them? Below we have listed 5 interesting ways to use them while cooking:
Also Read: How To Prevent Noodles From Sticking Together
Here Are 5 Creative And Easy Ways To Use Boiled Noodles:
Here are unique ways to use boiled noodles. Photo Credit: iStock
1. Use noodles as a coating for snacks
Forget breadcrumbs or tempura batter - the next time you're making snacks, coat them with boiled noodles. You can use this coating for potatoes, paneer, tofu, chicken and other ingredients. Such snacks are often described as "threaded" or "crispy thread" delicacies. We highly recommend trying crispy thread chicken, which has Desi Chinese flavours. Here's the complete recipe. If you want a vegetarian version, opt for threaded paneer. Click here for the recipe and cooking tips.
Also Read: Cooking Tips: 7 Easy Ways To Give Your Snacks A Crispy Coating
2. Fry and crush them to make other dishes
You can make delicious Chinese bhel after frying the boiled noodles. Photo Credit: iStock
The most convenient way to transform your boiled noodles is to deep fry them. All you need to do is ensure they are properly cooled and dried before you drop them into the hot oil. Once done, drain the excess oil and set aside for a few minutes. Then crush the fried noodles with your hands or with a large spoon to get smaller, separate strands. Fried noodles can be used as the main ingredient, a crispy garnish or even an appetiser served with spicy sauces. Two popular dishes that feature fried noodles as the star are Chinese Bhel (recipe here) and desi-style Chop suey (recipe here). These lip-smacking treats are pretty easy to put together, so do try them.
3. Make 'nests' or 'baskets' out of boiled noodles
This is a unique way of enjoying the crispiness of fried noodles. To make noodle nests or baskets, layer the middle of a small metal tea strainer with boiled noodles. Gently flatten and spread them in the shape of a mini nest. Then place the strainer in hot oil to deep fry the noodles. Press down the noodles with a spoon or another strainer to ensure they remain in place. Once the noodles begin to turn golden, gently remove them from the strainer and put the 'basket' back into the oil. Take care to maintain its shape. Ensure it cooks evenly from all sides. Later, remove the noodle basket and place it on absorbent paper. Fill it with a stuffing of your choice - opt for a mix of veggies, paneer/tofu, chicken, tuna, etc. Season with herbs, sauces or salad dressings according to your taste.
4. Mix them with your salad
Add either boiled or fried noodles with your salad to give it a fun twist. Photo Credit: iStock
Give your salad a slurpy texture by mixing some boiled noodles with your usual veggies. Dressings inspired by Asian flavours would especially suit such salads - think peanuts, sesame, soy, etc. You might want to cut and shorten the noodle strands before adding them to your salad. This will allow you to eat it more comfortably with a regular spoon and/or fork. As for fried noodles, they can also be added to your salads to give them a hint of crisp indulgence.
5. Add noodles to your soup
Many Indo-Chinese restaurants serve fried noodles with soups. But we're not just talking about that. You can also mix your plain, boiled noodles with your soup to make your version of noodle soup. Doing so makes the dish all the more comforting and satisfying. If you're someone who feels rather forced to drink soups, the noodles might also provide some much-needed novelty.
Also Read: 5 Comforting Noodle Soup Recipes You Must Try
With such tasty options, we are almost tempted to boil extra noodles on purpose. And why not? You should also try these unique noodle treats and let us know how you like them.