Curried Rice Noodles

Indian curry spices mixed with Asian noodles and sauce create a colorful, exotic noodle saute that is quick to make. From The Moosewood Low Fat Favorites Cookbook. If rice noodles are unavailable, use linguine or any Asian flat wheat noodle as a substitute-but don't use rice vermicelli.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Pasta

• 1⁄2 lb  rice noodles

• Dried Spices

• 2  teaspoons curry powder
• 1  teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander

• Sauce

• 2  tablespoons dry sherry
• 3  tablespoons soy sauce
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1  teaspoon sugar

• Vegetables

• 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
• 1  tablespoon  grated  fresh gingerroot
• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 1  cup  thinly sliced red onion
• 1  cup  peeled and julienned carrot
• 1  cup  sliced red bell peppers (or combination of colors) or 1  cup yellow bell pepper (or combination of colors)
• 4  cups  thinly sliced bok choy
•  salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water.
2. Cover the bowl and set aside.
3. Mix together the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and coriander in a small bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the sherry, soy sauce, water, and sugar and set aside.
5. In a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet, combine the garlic, ginger, and oil and saute on medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Add the red onions and carrots and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often.
7. Add the bell peppers and continue to cook, stirring, for about another 4 minutes.
8. Add the bok choy and dried spice mixture and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
9. Pour in the sauce mixture, cover, and simmer for another 2 minutes, or until the bok choy is tender.
10. Drain the rice noodles, which should be softened, and add them to the saute.
11. Stir until hot, then season with salt and black pepper to taste.
12. Serve with lime wedges and your choice of basil, cilantro, or scallions.
13. Variations:
14. For a spicy hot dish, add cayenne, chili paste, or Tabasco to taste, or replace the dried spices with 1 or 2 tbsp of Thai curry paste.
15. Add cayenne with the red onions and carrots; add chili paste, Tabasco, or Thai curry paste near the end of cooking.
16. Enjoy!