There must be more than 100 kinds of noodles to choose from in Chinatown. I’ve selected and prepared many of these noodles that vary in hue from pale white to buckwheat brown, and every shade in between. However, this past week I spotted some black rice noodles—a shade and type I had never seen or tried before. After a quick boil and cold water rinse, these black noodles looked really pretty and tasted amazing garnished with a generous sprinkling of fresh minced kale, basil and mint. I served them with fried tofu triangles, but sauteed tofu would also taste nice here with the sweet, salty and slightly spicy sauce.
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BLACK RICE NOODLES WITH FRESH KALE, MINT AND BASIL
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
for the sauce
- 3 TB mirin
- 1 TB dark sesame oil
- 1 TB soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp raw agave syrup
- 1 tsp to 1 TB sambal oelek or sriracha
for the noodles
- 2 bundles of black rice noodles
- 1 cup minced kale
- 2 TB minced fresh mint
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
- thai red chili, sliced (optional)
- black and white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Add in the noodles and stir. Boil for 5-7 minutes, then turn the stove heat off and drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Return the rinsed noodles to the pot, then add in the minced kale, mint and basil to the warm pan and allow to wilt for a minute or two, stirring occasionally. Add in a few tablespoons of the sauce to taste and stir to combine. Serve immediately with the sesame seeds and thai chili peppers, with the remaining sauce on the side.
Caitlin says
i have always been entrigued by black rice noodles. they seem to dress up any dish they are in. i love this dish and the addition of basil and mint. it must taste so refreshing!
congrats again to making the top 15 finalists!!
erinwyso says
They were a little more glutinous that other noodles I've tried, and had kind of a nutty flavor to them. But really pretty with some bright green thrown in!
Congrats to you too on being a finalist in the Salad'tude contest, Caitlin!! xo
Ashley F. says
I love how festive this dish looks! Yummy!
Anonymous says
Voted for you!
erinwyso says
Thank you!
Angry Asian says
i have a fear of black food. i like black olives ok, but i generally avoid food that is black. it's irrational, i know.
you're so adventurous… i tend to stick to the same kind of noodles i'm familiar with.
PS. i also voted for you. good luck!
erinwyso says
Most black foods are actually a little frightening, so it's not that irrational! But the pretty green here cancels that out. : )
Thanks so much for voting for me, Lan!