Easy Curry Noodles

Name: Easy Curry Noodles
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 inch ginger (finely chopped or minced); 3 garlic cloves (minced); 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp ground mild chilli powder; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 400 ml coconut milk; 200 ml chicken stock (add more if necessary); 2 packets noodles (around 150g-200g ramen noodles); 200 g ground beef (20% fat); 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 pak choi (sliced and microwaved for 2 minutes in water, then drained.); 2 scallions (finely sliced); 1 tbsp chilli oil (optional); 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

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This easy Creamy Curry Noodles recipe is one of my favorite comfort foods. The sauce is simple to make using a few pantry spices, tomato paste, coconut milk, and chicken broth. The curry noodles are topped with crispy ground beef, pak choi, and scallions. It comes together in less than 25 minutes so give it a go and I hope you enjoy!

bowl of noodles with crispy ground beef and pak choi.

Don't get me wrong, a packet of ramen noodles that takes 3 minutes to make is great for a quick dinner, but it's...

Not as healthy due to all the artificial ingredients, and
It's no where near as tasty as a bowl of homemade curry noodles that's comforting and delicious.

If you're a fan of easy noodle recipes, then you'll love my viral spicy peanut butter ramen noodles for a one-pan noodle recipe option, or for a healthier recipe, go for my one pot vermicelli noodles packed full of goodness. For something similar to these curry noodles but with different flavours, I'd recommend my egg noodles with ground beef dish! Lastly, for something a bit fun and different, my spam ramen with egg is a go-to of mine when I've had a rough day!

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
Step by Step Instructions with Photos
What To Do with Leftovers
FAQs
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
Easy Curry Noodles

Why you'll love this recipe

Simple: the saucy noodles are all made in one pot and you can fry off the ground beef with cumin seeds in another pan so that it all comes together at the same time!

Genuinely delicious: if you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I LOVE a saucy noodle. And, based on the love I receive from you lot, you guys love them too! This recipe is just another variation of a creamy, flavorful noodle recipe that I hope you adore.

Developed by a chef who loves to cook at home: yes, that's right! For those of you who don't know, I'm Emily (heeeey!!). I'm a chef, recipe developer, and lover of all things food. My goal is to create simple, delicious, and exciting recipes for you to enjoy, and this curry noodles dish is the perfect example. If you want to know more about me and how I develop these recipes for you, tap here!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ground beef: we're using 20% fat ground beef for this recipe as the extra fat gives off a delicious flavour. If you're looking for a healthier option, then feel free to choose a leaner beef fat percentage (like 5%). If you don't fancy ground beef, you could use ground turkey, chicken, or pork. For a veggie option, ground extra firm tofu would be delicious, or even finely chopped mushrooms or lentils.

Cumin seeds: with slightly earthy and warm nutty undertones, cumin seeds add a lovely flavor to our beef. If you're not a fan, you can swap them out with mild chilli flakes, mustard seeds, or cardamom.

Ginger: we're using fresh ginger here (always best in my opinion).

Garlic: once again, fresh garlic is always best, but if you've only got garlic granules, then I'd recommend using ¼ teaspoon.

Ground cumin: ground cumin is less nutty than cumin seeds for some reason. I love it! If you don't have ground cumin, feel free to use a mild curry powder instead of sweet paprika.

Ground turmeric: this gorgeous mustard yellow spice adds a slight bitterness, with ginger and citrusy notes!

Ground mild chilli powder: I love to add a bit of spice to any noodle dish, so feel free to omit if you don't like hot food.

Tomato paste: this is to add a slight acidic and tangy taste to our dish, as well as add a bit of colour.

Coconut milk: a vegan and healthy alternative to a cream-based curry noodle. I think the coconut goes so well with the spices!

Chicken broth: I'm using chicken stock for this recipe but you could use vegetable stock to make it vegan or vegetarian. A store-bought option is absolutely fine but if you've got some homemade broth, use that!

Noodles: you can use whatever noodles you fancy for this really! I love ramen noodles but you could use vermicelli, soba, udon, or any type of egg noodle. Make sure to use gluten-free noodles for those who are intolerant to gluten.

Garnish: pak choi and scallions are my two choices for this dish, but you could also add on cilantro, edamame beans, crispy tofu, a jammy egg or sesame seeds.

The full list of ingredients and quantities is at the bottom of this blog in the recipe card!

Step by Step Instructions with Photos

Step 1: Place a large pot on medium heat and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Follow with the minced ginger, garlic, ground cumin, ground turmeric, and mild chilli powder. Fry for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.

Step 2: Once the smell in your kitchen is bursting with delicious spices and aromatics, add in the tomato paste and fry for another 30 seconds, stirring frequently.

Creamy coconut milk sauce stirred in pan.

Step 3: Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock. Stir to combine, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 10 minutes while you fry your beef.

Step 4: Place a frying pan on medium to high heat. Add in the beef mince and break apart with the back of a wooden spoon. Add in the cumin seeds, and leave to fry until golden brown, around 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5: Taste the coconut broth and season with salt, pepper, or sugar based on your preferences. Next up, add in the noodles and place the lid on the pot. Stir occasionally to loosen the noodles. Add some more water if the noodles are sticking to the base of the pot. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions (usually a few minutes).

curry noodles with crispy ground beef pak choi and scallions.

Step 6: Once the ground beef is golden and crispy, and the noodles are cooked, divide the noodles and the sauce between two bowls. Top each bowl with the crispy beef, scallions, pak choi, and a touch of chilli oil. Enjoy!

What To Do with Leftovers

Storage: if you've got any leftovers, leave them to cool, then place the curry noodles in airtight containers and into the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing: you can totally freeze this noodle curry recipe. Simply leave to cool, place in airtight containers and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Don't forget to label with the date and contents. Leave to thaw/defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheating: when it comes to noodles, I have a little trick I always do when reheating. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of milk, coconut milk, or chicken broth into the container and leave the lid slightly ajar. Reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes or until piping hot. What the liquid does is moisten the noodles and prevents them from going dry!

FAQs

Are curry noodles gluten free?

If you are able to get gluten-free noodles, then the rest of the dish is gluten free too! So you're good to go.

Can I make this vegan?

For sure, simply swap out the ground beef for ground extra firm tofu or finely chopped mushrooms, and replace the chicken stock for vegetable stock.

Is this dish spicy?

No! Although we add some mild chilli powder into the dish, I wouldn't class this dish as spicy hot. You can add more spice by topping the curry noodles with chilli oil.

What other vegetables could I serve with this?

Edamame beans, cilantro, steamed eggplant, mangetouts.

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