Pancit Bihon or Stir-Fry Rice Noodles with Meat and Vegetables is a popular dish in the Philippines and often served for birthdays. The seasonings are typically soy sauce, fish sauce and fresh citrus juice.
Noodles were actually introduced to the Philippines by the Chinese, and are traditionally served at birthday celebrations. We have four birthday celebrations in our family between April and June, so lots of noodles are being eaten. Although gluten-free noodles are a fairly new product in American markets, Asians have long eaten noodles made with gluten-free flours, including rice, mung bean, sweet potato and buckwheat flours. In fact, gluten-free noodles are a lot less expensive at local Asian stores and they come in all different widths.
Today, I’m using two different types of noodles in my Stir-Fry Rice Noodles – thin rice noodles and mung bean noodles. Although thin rice noodles are typically used for this dish, a woman at the Asian grocery store suggested I try using both rice and mung bean noodles for a more interesting texture in the final dish. Mung bean noodles are a bit gelatinous while rice noodles are firmer.
These Stir-Fry Rice Noodles can be made with various proteins (chicken, shrimp, pork) and vegetables (cabbage, carrots, snow peas, celery, onions). I chose chicken and shrimp as the proteins and a mixture of cabbage, red bell pepper, carrots and shitake mushrooms for the vegetables. The typical seasonings include soy sauce, fish sauce and calamansi juice (a citrus fruit that has a sweet rind but sour flesh). Since fresh calamansi is unavailable locally, I used fresh lemon.
Most of the work is in prepping the ingredients – cutting the chicken into thin strips and preparing the vegetables. For a shortcut, I used thin sliced chicken breast and cut them into thin strips. I also used large frozen peeled shrimp which I cut in half lengthwise to “multiply” the amount of shrimp in the dish. Once all the ingredients are prepared, everything is simply stir-fried together. I did use a Chinese technique of marinating the proteins prior to stir-frying that I think results in more tender chicken and shrimp. I think this small step makes all the difference in the texture of the chicken and shrimp in the final dish.
Stir Fry Rice and Mung Bean Noodles with Shrimp, Chicken and Vegetables
Ingredients
- 150 grams ~5 ounces thin rice noodles
- 3 packs ~ 5.6 ounces mung bean noodles
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast cut into thin julienne strips
- 1/2 pound large shrimp shelled, halved lengthwise
- 2 1/2 teaspoons rice wine divided
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil grapeseed oil or rice bran oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1-2 carrots shredded or thinly sliced (~ 1 cup)
- 2 cups cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
- 6 fresh shitake mushrooms caps removed, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth unsalted or low-sodium
Seasoning Sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free soy sauce
- ground black pepper
Garnishes
- 1 lemon
- 2 scallions chopped
Instructions
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In a large pan or bowl of hot water, soak rice noodles and mung bean noodles for 30 minutes. Drain.
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In a medium bowl, toss together chicken strips, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 1/2 teaspoon rice wine and 1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce,.
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In a small bowl, toss together shrimp halves, 1 teaspoon rice wine and 1 teaspoon cornstarch.
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In a wok, heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add a little of the minced garlic and some of the sliced onion. Stir-fry until fragrant, 1-2 minutes; add carrots and stir-fry a few 1-2 minutes. Add cabbage, red bell peppers and shitake mushrooms, and stir-fry 1-2 minutes. Remove to a plate.
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Heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add a little minced garlic and some sliced onion. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add marinated shrimp; stir-fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove to plate.
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Heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add remaining minced garlic and sliced onion. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add marinated chicken strips; stir-fry until just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove to plate.
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Add chicken broth to wok and bring to boil. Add drained noodles and Seasoning Sauce ingredients. Return cooked chicken and vegetables to wok. Toss and cook until noodles are just tender (not mushy). Season with ground pepper. Just before serving, squeeze some lemon juice on top and garnish with chopped green onions.
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Perfect healthy dinner. Love it!!
Thanks! This is healthy and light, and kid-friendly.
Oh my goodness, I just want to DIVE right into that bowl! Amazing recipe!
Thanks Georgia – my kids loved these noodles and I liked the fact that it had both protein and veggies in it.
OMG Jeanette that looks awesome! I want a huge bowl of that for dinner.
Thanks Alyssa – this is a great one pot meal and easy to make.
I didn’t even know they made noodles out of mung beans! Have you ever tried shiritake noodles? They’re made with yam and soy and they are slightly gelatinous too but a good low carb substitute.
Ooooh, loving this recipe, Jeanette!!
I have to get some mung bean noodles!
I need to try mung bean noodles. This looks divine, J 🙂
I have not tried it with the two types of noodles. I like the idea. Hoping to try it this weekend (need to shop for some ingredients). I will update with results. Can hardly wait!
This dish looks yummy, I am new to cooking these noodles. How do you marinate your chicken and shrimp if I may ask?
Hi Tania, in the recipe, the chicken is marinated in rice wine, soy sauce and cornstarch; the shrimp is marinated in rice wine and cornstarch. This helps to keep the chicken and shrimp moist and tender, and add a little more flavor to the dish.
Very nice recipe. Thanks Jeanette.
Thanks Liz – this is a great one dish meal. Have a great week!
Absolutely love this !! Sharing today!