Bean thread noodles are used a lot in Asian cuisine. A perfect fit, because the fine starch threads harmonise with almost everything, are ready for use at lightning speed and are also healthy. You can read all about glass noodles here on Gastrocoach.
This is what you should know about bean thread noodles
The pasta, which is snow-white when raw, suddenly looks transparent after being soaked or briefly cooked in water. Strictly speaking, bean thread noodles are not noodles at all, because they are generally made from durum wheat or cereal flour. The basis for bean thread noodles, on the other hand, usually consists of the starch of mung beans or soybeans, sometimes also of rice starch.
To get the starch, grind the beans until you get a sticky and sweet-tasting mass. This is mixed with fresh water until the pasta has the desired consistency. Finally form the long bean thread noodles and let them dry.
The special characteristic of glass noodles, apart from their surprising transformation during cooking, is their fine form. In Japan the thin threads of starch are poetically called “spring rain”.
Taste & consistency: Bean thread noodles taste rather neutral; after soaking they become soft and somewhat slippery. Their texture is a bit like gelatine.
How healthy are the noodles?
For those who do not tolerate gluten, bean thread noodles are an inexpensive and healthy alternative to cereal flour noodles. But even those who have no problems with wheat flour can be happy: bean thread noodles contain considerably less fat than conventional pasta.
Although the calorie content of glass noodles is about the same as that of wheat noodles, the Asian variant is still interesting for the figure-conscious. As a rule, only about 40-50 g of glass noodles are counted per portion.
Nutritional values of glass noodles per 100 grams:
Calories 350
Protein 0,5 g
Fat 0,2 g
Carbohydrates 85 g
Dietary fibre 1 g
Ingredients for 4 portions
250 grams bean thread noodles
3 cloves of garlic
1 red chili
250 grams Shiitake (or brown mushrooms)
4 carrots
2 onions
400 grams Chinese cabbage
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sugar
75 millilitres soy sauce
3 tbsp lemon juice
salt
2 tbsp sesame oil (roasted)
2 spring onions
Preparation
Cook the bean thread noodles with boiling water according to the instructions on the packet and let them steep for about 3 minutes until soft. Rinse under cold water and drain in a sieve. Peel the garlic. Cut the chilli pepper in half and remove the seeds (work with kitchen gloves). Chop the garlic and chilli finely. Clean and slice the mushrooms, peel the carrots and cut them into thin sticks. Peel onions and cut into fine slices. Clean the Chinese cabbage and cut into narrow strips.
Heat the oil in a wok pan and sauté the chilli and garlic briefly. Then add the sugar and caramelise briefly. Add the vegetables to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes while stirring. Add the bean thread noodles and soy sauce and fry for another 3 minutes until the vegetables are done. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and sesame oil and mix well, spread over four bowls. Clean and rinse the spring onions, chop finely and sprinkle over them shortly before serving.
Fried prawns, for example, taste good with this. Enjoy!
Want more recipes? Have a look at all our recipes here
