KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Like most other types of noodles, this is one dish you can definitely whip up using practically anything and still yield amazing results. 

Its minimal flavouring allows the ingredients to season it according to your liking. All your proteins, fibre, carbohydrates and fat in a single meal dish, which really saves you a lot of time and hassle as you do not have to prepare any other dishes to go along with it.

Glass noodles (also known as cellophane noodles) are made from starch such as mung bean starch, yam, potato starch or cassava and water. 

They’re a good source of calcium and iron, and are naturally gluten-free, making them ideal for people having difficulty digesting gluten. 

These noodles are quite thick, and they are opaque, hard and brittle when dry. However, when cooked they turn translucent and have a slightly chewy texture. 

When buying, do remember to handle them gently as they are quite brittle when dry and can break easily. Make sure the packets you buy contain whole strands of noodles, not short broken ones. 

As long as they are dry, they have a long shelf life. Before frying, you need to soak them in some hot water but not for too long. The hotter the water, the more water the noodles tend to soak up. 

This makes their interior softer but the exterior surface stickier, causing them to easily break or become soggy. 

Glass noodles cook really quickly due to their ability to absorb moisture like a sponge. Due to this, they also beautifully absorb the flavours and sauces from the wok, giving you a flavoursome mouthful. Read on for the method, and then set out to dazzle your guests!

Fried glass noodles with minced chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves 4

200gm glass noodles, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes

50gm dried prawns, soaked in water for 5 minutes, discard impurities in water and soak again for a further 10 minutes, then discard water and finely pound

2 cloves garlic, skin removed and finely chopped

5 red shallots, skin removed and sliced thinly

1 chicken egg

10 pieces of prawns, skin removed and deveined

150gm chicken breast, chopped roughly with a cleaver

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons thick black soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

salt and pepper for taste

pinch of chicken bouillon, diluted with some water 

handful of Chinese chives, cut into 6cm lengths

handful of bean sprouts

1.  Heat oil in pan over high heat.

2.  Add garlic, shallots and dried prawns and stir fry for 2 minutes, until fragrant.

3.  Add prawns, chopped chicken and mix ingredients together, 

4.  Add in thick soy sauce, salt, pepper and sugar and mix ingredients thoroughly.

5.  Pour in diluted chicken stock and glass noodles and continue stir frying over high heat. While stir frying, ensure you use your spatula to separate the noodles every few seconds.

6.  Finally add in remaining chives and bean sprouts.

7.  Dish onto clean plate and serve with cut chillies and light soy sauce.