Oodles of noodles

By Nick Foley

Forget burgers, fried chicken and kebabs - noodles are the undisputed kings of fast food. Wholesome and cheap, a noodle meal that your doctor would approve of can be rustled up in minutes. No longer considered an exotic Asian novelty, noodles have become a British kitchen cupboard essential and add some oriental flavour to our cooking. As Kimiko Barber, author of a new book called Easy Noodles, explains they're the ideal solution for cooks who have a passion for flavour but are short on time. "Noodles are incredibly convenient. You can buy them fresh or keep dried ones in the larder as a constant standby, just like pasta. "You can boil or steam them, stir fry or deep fry, use them as wrapping or a stuffing - the possibilities and effects are endless." And, apart from their convenience, they offer are a variety of tastes and flavours that far outshines pasta. "It is because Asian noodles are made from a variety of starch - unlike Italian pasta, which is made of wheat flour - that they offer almost infinite combinations of texture, flavour and taste," she says. Choosing the right kind of noodles for the meal you're preparing isn't, however, as straight forward as it may seem with the dozens of varieties of noodles on offer at supermarkets and specialist food stores. "The general rule in choosing the right noodle is to use thinner ones for refined soups, whereas the thicker varieties can stand up to more robust flavours," says Barber. Use freshly made noodles wherever possible, she advises, although if this isn't possible the dried variety still offer plenty of flavour. Barber, who learned to cook from her three Japanese grandmothers, says even novice cooks can rustle up a gourmet meal in minutes. Boiling fresh noodles only takes two to three minutes, while their dried counterparts need about five minutes to soften up. It's then a case of choosing what you want to add to the noodles, or using any ingredients knocking about in your fridge or cupboard. The great appeal of cooking with noodles, Barber says, is that they really will go with anything. "You can have them with seafood, pork, beef, chicken, crab - the list just goes on. Noodles can also form the basis for salads, soups, dumplings and exotic finger foods." Every part of Asia has its favourite noodle dishes, and Barber urges people to experiment with the flavours and traditions of each region. "You should try Shanghai pork noodles, which remains the simplest, foolproof stir-fry. You should sample Vietnamese chicken noodle Pho, which they eat for breakfast, and the Korean sweet potato noodle dish, Jap Chae." Below are two of Asia's most popular and mouth-watering noodle dishes from Easy Noodles by Kimiko Barber. Easy Noodles by Kimiko Barber is published by Ryland Peters & Small, priced £8.99 and is available now.

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