In a typical Hong Kong family dinner meal, we’ll have a bowl of rice, soup, and several dishes to share, such as steamed fish, stir-fried vegetables, and a type of meat. Stir-fried vermicelli with shrimps is one of my favourite dishes at home. Similar to baked pork-chop rice (焗豬排飯), it is a popular heartwarming dish that makes you feel at home.
Using shrimp heads and shells to make a shrimp broth, this adds a richer taste to the dish. Together with plump shrimps and chewy vermicelli, this dish is full of flavours, easy to make, and just feel-so-good! Topped with fresh coriander, this refreshes your mouth and neutralises the spiciness, making it incredibly satisfying.
Learn how to make stir-fried vermicelli with shrimps and share this comfort food with your family for a cosy night!
Table of contents
- Ingredients for stir-fried vermicelli with shrimps (粉絲蝦煲)
- How to make stir-fried vermicelli with shrimps (粉絲蝦煲)
- Success tips for making stir-fried vermicelli with shrimps (粉絲蝦煲)
- Popular substitutions & additions
- How to cook shrimps so they’re juicy and tender?
- Can I use frozen shrimps?
- What to do with leftover shrimps?
- More shrimp recipes
- You may also like
Ingredients for stir-fried vermicelli with shrimps (粉絲蝦煲)
- Bean vermicelli: This recipe uses unbleached bean vermicelli as they are chewier and won’t become soggy easily.
- Shrimps: This recipe uses 8 pieces of shrimps
- Shrimp heads and shells: This recipe uses 20 shrimp heads and shells to make a shrimp broth for the vermicelli noodles. This makes the dish richer in flavour!
- Salt and pepper: For seasoning the shrimps.
- Shallots: These give the dish a rich and fragrant aroma. Cooked till fragrant, they add a slight sweetness and an extra touch of savouriness to the dish!
- Garlic: A staple ingredient we use when cooking Asian food. The garlicky flavour adds a distinct taste and aroma that enhances the overall flavours of the dish.
- Hot chilli pepper: A little bit of spice makes a huge difference in the flavour profile of this dish! Depending on your heat tolerance, add in an amount that suits your taste best.
- Soy sauce: The key ingredient that gives you a savoury goodness.
- Dark soy sauce: This adds colour to the dish.
- Fresh coriander: For garnishing the dish.
For this recipe, I used unbleached bean vermicelli from a Thai brand called Pine. It is made with 100% mung bean, making the vermicelli chewier when cooked, and they won’t get mushy or soggy easily!
How to make stir-fried vermicelli with shrimps (粉絲蝦煲)
- Soak the vermicelli in lukewarm water for half an hour.
- Prepare the shrimp broth by stir-frying shrimp heads and shells until fragrant, then add in water. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain the heads and shells over a strainer to get the shrimp broth, and set aside.
- In a wok, heat some oil over medium-high heat. Add in shrimps, season with salt and pepper, then stir-fry until 80% cooked. Set aside.
- Using the same wok, stir-fry the shallots, garlic, and hot chilli peppers until fragrant. Add in the shrimp broth, vermicelli, and seasoning sauce. Stir quickly and constantly to mix all ingredients well.
- Add in cooked shrimps and toss to combine.
Success tips for making stir-fried vermicelli with shrimps (粉絲蝦煲)
Soak the vermicelli in lukewarm water in advance.
This helps soften the vermicelli so that you can stir-fry it more easily. Be sure not to use hot water as this will eventually cook the vermicelli and make it too soft as after stir-frying with the seasoning sauce.
Squeeze all the juices from shrimp heads and shells as you drain them.
These are the essence that makes the shrimp broth so rich and flavourful!
Ensure the wok has been heated well enough before adding in the vermicelli.
If the wok is not hot enough, vermicelli will easily stick to it, making it difficult to stir-fry. Be sure to cook this recipe over medium-high heat.
Stir constantly and quickly.
The shrimp broth and seasoning sauces will quickly evaporate as you cook over medium-high heat, and since vermicelli absorbs liquid quickly, be sure to stir constantly and quickly to maintain the moisture and freshness of each ingredient. Otherwise, the vermicelli will stick to the wok as a result of insufficient liquid in the wok.
Popular substitutions & additions
- Switch up the shrimps: You can make this stir-fried vermicelli in other variations like pairing with beef, pork, chicken, or firm tofu.
- Add veggies: You can add in vegetables like carrots, spinach, or mushrooms to make this dish more nutritious!
- Substitute shallots with onions: If you don’t have shallots in your kitchen, red or white onions will work well as a substitute.
How to cook shrimps so they’re juicy and tender?
Don’t overcook the shrimps at the first step, as you’ll be transferring them back to the wok and stir-frying with the vermicelli at a later step. Once the shrimps start to curl in slightly and their colours have just turned opaque, remove them from the wok and set aside. Hence, this process should take no more than a minute, otherwise you’ll lose the juiciness of the shrimps. Overcooked shrimps have a solid white-pink colour and are completely curled into a tight circle.
Can I use frozen shrimps?
Yes, you can use frozen shrimps for this recipe. Be sure to thaw them completely, then use a piece of kitchen towel to pat and dry them before cooking to achieve a plump texture.
If your store-bought frozen shrimps have the shells removed, then you can skip the step that makes the shrimp broth. Simply add in water together with vermicelli and seasoning sauce when stir-frying. Do note that the dish will be less rich without the broth made with shrimp heads and shells! You can add in 1-2 tsp chicken powder to make the dish more flavourful.
What to do with leftover shrimps?
To make a rich shrimp broth, I used more shrimp heads and shells than the flesh in this recipe. You can store the leftover shrimp flesh in a zip bag or food bag in the freezer and defrost them for other shrimp recipes.
Bursting with rich flavours, this stir-fried vermicelli with shrimps is easy to make with no complicated steps. With a pleasing balance of savoury and spicy flavours, this dish is a must-try if you’re seeking a hearty dish with mega flavours in each bite!
More shrimp recipes
I’d love to hear about your experience making my recipes! If you’ve tried this Stir-Fried Vermicelli with Shrimps recipe or any other recipe on HomeCookJournal, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Feel free to take snapshots of your experience with my recipes and share them on Instagram so I can repost on stories! And if you have any other foods you’d like to make, please feel free to comment as well!
Stir-Fried Vermicelli with Shrimps (粉絲蝦煲)
Equipment
- 1 Wok
- 1 Clay pot or plate
Ingredients
- 8 shrimps (110-120g)
- 2 packs unbleached bean vermicelli (80g)
- ½ onion sliced
- 3 shallots sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1-2 hot chilli pepper chopped
- About 2 tbsp oil for cooking
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- fresh coriander for garnishing
For the shrimp broth
- 20 shrimp heads and shells (180-190g)
- 150-200 ml water
For the seasoning sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
Instructions
- Soak the vermicelli in a bowl of lukewarm water for 30 minutes.
- Heat a dash of oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry shrimp heads and shells until fragrant. Add in water and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain the shrimp heads and shells over a strainer with a big bowl underneath to get the shrimp broth. Use a spatula to press down and squeeze any juices from the heads. These are the essence!
- Heat about 1 tbsp oil in the same wok over medium-high heat. Add in shrimps, season with salt and pepper, and stir-fry until 80-90% cooked. This should take no more than 1 minute. Set aside.
- Using the same wok, heat about 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add in sliced shallots and minced and cook until they begin to become translucent.
- Add in drained vermicelli, shrimp broth, and seasoning sauce. Stir-fry constantly and quickly to prevent the vermicelli from sticking to the pan.
- Transfer the cooked shrimps back to the wok, stir-fry and toss to combine.
- Place the stir-fried vermicelli with shrimps in a clay pot, and garnish with fresh coriander.
