How To Make Vietnamese Fresh Turmeric Noodle For Mi Quang
If somebody asks me about a special type of rice noodle in Vietnam, I’ll surely tell them about the turmeric noodle, which is made exclusively for a famous dish: Mi Quang. With its vibrant yellow color, the turmeric noodle stands out from the other Vietnamese rice noodles, which are usually white. Moreover, the special flavor that comes from turmeric powder also makes Mi Quang unique, making it a must-try dish from Quang Nam Province in the middle of Vietnam. Knowing that it’s not easy to buy dried turmeric noodles outside Vietnam, let me show you how to make fresh turmeric noodles for Mi Quang.
Table of Contents
What is Turmeric Noodle?
Mì Quảng, or Mi Quang, is a traditional Vietnamese noodle dish that originated in Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam. It is a popular dish in Vietnamese cuisine and is known for its distinctive yellow turmeric noodles, which are colored with turmeric. The turmeric noodles give the dish its vibrant color and a special turmeric flavor.
In terms of components to make this special turmeric noodle, they are quite similar to any other types of Vietnamese rice noodles, with rice flour, tapioca starch, and water. What makes it different is the turmeric powder added to the batter, and the thickness. The shape of turmeric noodles is the same as pho rice noodles, which are flat and 3-4mm wide; however, they are thicker than the popular pho rice noodle, hence chewier.
So, can we substitute pho rice noodles for turmeric noodles? The answer is probably yes, with a bit of a trick. However, even after you boil pho noodles with turmeric powder to dye the noodles yellow like turmeric noodles, the similarity will be just about 60%. It’s because of the difference in thickness, as well as the content of turmeric powder inside the noodle.
Because I would like to have a homemade but authentic Mi Quang, I tried to make these yellow turmeric noodles at home. Making them is quite easy, with a steamer, a tray, cooking oil, and the batter. Of course, it requires your patience to wait for the steamer to work, but you can take advantage of this waiting time to prepare for Mi Quang’s broth.
Ingredients of Turmeric Noodle
Here is the list of ingredients required to make turmeric noodles for Mi Quang, enough for 4 bowls:
- Rice flour: 300g
- Tapioca starch: 150g
- Turmeric powder: 4g (1 tsp)
- Salt: 4g (1 tsp)
- Water: 1 liter
- 2 tbsp of cooking oil
Rice flour and tapioca starch are two must-have ingredients for almost every type of Vietnamese noodle. Rice flour is the base of rice noodles. Tapioca starch typically acts as a chewiness creator; the more tapioca starch, the chewier the noodle becomes. Here in the recipe for fresh turmeric noodles for Mi Quang, I used 2 parts of rice flour and 1 part of tapioca starch, mixed with 6 parts of water. Turmeric powder can be easily adjusted while mixing; if you want it to be more yellow, add more turmeric powder. However, remember to add just a pinch of salt, or else the noodles will be too savory.
How to Make Turmeric Noodle for Mi Quang at Home
- First, mix rice flour, tapioca starch, turmeric powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add water to the bowl. Mix all ingredients together and let the mixture rest for at least 30 minutes. The longer the rest, the better to let the flour absorb water fully.
- After the resting period, the flour will settle at the bottom. Skim off the water on top and replace it with the same amount of fresh water. Mix well and let the mixture rest for at least another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put some cooking oil in another bowl.
- Once the resting is done, prepare a steamer. Get a round cake mold or tray (I used my round aluminum pie pan) that fits the steamer. Grease it with a thin layer of cooking oil using a brush. When the water in the steamer boils, place the greased mold in the steamer for 1-2 minutes to preheat. Then, open the lid and pour the mixture into the mold to a thickness of about 1-2 mm. Cover with the lid and steam until the noodle can be peeled off easily, usually about 3-5 minutes.
- After taking the slice of turmeric noodle out of the mold, brush a thin layer of oil on the surface of the round slice of noodle to prevent it from sticking to the next one. Also, brush oil on the mold to continue steaming until the batter runs out.
- Once all the cakes are steamed, cut them into turmeric noodle strands (width as desired, typically 3-4mm). Now you can use them to make Chicken Mi Quang, Shrimp & Pork or a mixed Mi Quang.
Tips for Perfect Homemade Fresh Turmeric Noodle
From my experiences, there are some common mistakes while making fresh turmeric noodles:
- The homemade noodles seem to be thicker than store-bought noodles: It’s quite hard for us to estimate exactly the amount of batter to achieve the desired thickness. To adjust, you should note the exact amount used the first and second time you make the noodles, then increase or decrease it a little bit for the next times.
- Noodles stick to the mold: It’s because the layer of cooking oil doesn’t cover the entire mold, or because the noodles haven’t been evenly cooked. Always brush cooking oil evenly on the mold. If you see the noodles are still sticky, steam for 1-2 minutes more and try again.
- Noodle strands stick together: When cutting slices of turmeric noodles into strands, the strands can stick together. To avoid this, don’t forget to brush more oil on the noodles and the knife, and gently cut them into strands to prevent them from sticking to each other. After cutting, immediately separate the strands.
Do you like this recipe? Brighten my day by rating the recipe and clicking the “save” button to have this recipe right on your Pinterest board. Also, let’s be friends on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok!
Vietnamese Fresh Turmeric Noodle for Mi Quang
Ingredients
- 300g (10.6 oz) rice flour
- 150g (5.3 oz) g tapioca starch
- 1 tsp turmeric powder 4g
- 1 tsp salt 4g
- 1L (33.8 fl oz) water
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- First, mix rice flour, tapioca starch, turmeric powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add water to the bowl. Mix all ingredients together and let the mixture rest for at least 30 minutes. The longer the rest, the better to let the flour absorb water fully.
- After the resting period, the flour will settle at the bottom. Skim off the water on top and replace it with the same amount of fresh water. Mix well and let the mixture rest for at least another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put some cooking oil in another bowl, ready for the next steps.
- Once the resting is done, prepare a steamer. Get a round cake mold or tray (I used my round aluminum pie pan) that fits the steamer. Grease it with a thin layer of cooking oil using a brush. When the water in the steamer boils, place the mold in the steamer for 1-2 minutes to preheat. Then, open the lid and pour the mixture into the mold to a thickness of about 1-2 mm. Cover with the lid and steam until the noodle can be peeled off easily, usually in 3-5 minutes.
- After taking the slice of turmeric noodle out of the mold, brush a thin layer of oil on the surface of the round slice of noodle to prevent it from sticking to the next one. Also, brush oil on the mold to continue steaming until the batter runs out.
- Once all the cakes are steamed, cut them into turmeric noodle strands (width as desired, typically 3-4mm). Now you can use them to make Chicken, Shrimp, Pork, or a mixed Mi Quang.
I am not sure where youre getting your info but good topic I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more Thanks for magnificent info I was looking for this information for my mission
Is there a video on how to do this? The instructions are a little confusing if you haven’t done this before.
Thanks for your comment, I’ll try updating a video soon!