Other Uses for Colombo Powder

When I first decided to make colombo six months ago, I had purchased a 250g bag of colombo powder at the supermarket. Two hundred and fifty grams of colombo powder is actually a lot, and certainly constitutes more dishes of colombo than I am ready to eat. So, what to do with all that powder? I had moment of food inspiration when I realized that I could use the colombo powder in Singapore Noodles.

Singapore Noodles is a fairly popular dish found on menus in almost all Chinese restaurants. It should be noted that the dish isn't actually from Singapore, but is rather an interpretation by (immigrant) Chinese cooks of the spicy noodle dishes common in Singapore. In any case, Singapore Noodles are usually made with vermicelli noodles, dyed a bright yellow by the turmeric in the curry powder, sauteed with peppers. The remaining ingredients - which can include shrimp, roast pork, strips of fried egg - depends largely on the cook. The recipe for BBC Good Food for Singapore noodles includes both a vegetarian and a meat version. Below is my recipe for Singapore Noodles. I change the quantities depending on what is available, whether or not the dish is supposed to be a stand alone dish, whimsy...

Ingredients:
Angel hair pasta
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced half moons
1 large bell pepper, julienned
3 - 4 piments vegetaliens (1), de-seeded, julienned
2 eggs, beaten
2 slices of ham, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
3/4 tsp colombo powder
green onion, chopped
soy sauce

1. Boil a pot of water, cook the angel hair pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat some oil in a sauté pan. When the pan is hot, pour in the beaten egg.

3. Swish the beaten egg around to ensure an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Cook until the egg is set on the pan side, then flip the egg to cook the other side.

4. Remove the egg from the pan and cut the egg into thin strips.*

5. Heat some oil in a wok or sauté pan. When the oil is hot, throw in the garlic and turn down heat to medium. Cover and allow the garlic to cook for a minute. Then add the ginger.

4. Turn the heat back up to high. Throw in the onion, bell peppers, and piments. Stir the onions, bell peppers, and piments to make sure there is even cooking.

5. Once the onions and bell peppers have slightly softened, add the colombo powder. Stir to mix.

6. Turn the heat down to medium. Throw in ham strips, egg strips, green onion. Stir to mix.

7. Add angel hair pasta. Combine all ingredients. Add soy sauce and combine to coat.

* To save time, you do not have to cook the eggs separately. After sauteeing the onions and peppers, push them to the side, and pour in the beaten eggs. Stir the eggs. Once the eggs are scrambled, combine the egg with the onions and peppers. Add colombo powder and continue with the recipe as detailed above.

I like eating my noodles with Huy Fong sriracha, a veritable luxury given that a regular 17oz bottle costs almost 10€ (2). The noodles pictured above also have roast pork, but that is an additional step that requires a bit of planning. Sliced ham is a good stand in.

Singapore Noodles is something I would have never made before. My parents are from southern China, and this type of oil-heavy, spicy dish is not part of our cuisine. I don't associate it as food I would eat at home; It was always something we ate at canteens in Chinatown. But its been several years since I've moved out of my parents' home, and the food I cook is no longer defined solely by the ethnic background of my parents. Still, cooking Chinese food - and, in particular, Chinese food that I would have eaten at restaurants only - is challenging. I don't mean that technically, of course - any regular home cook with the right ingredients can manage Chinese food. I mean that it requires rearranging fixed ideas about my own abilities, and how I interact with my environment. Like learning to cook Korean food, daring to cook Chinese food is a definite gain.




(1)






(2) I imagine that the price is high because the sauce is twice imported: imported first by Frères Tang in Paris, then on to Guadeloupe by local importers.