I was making a batch of my sambal potatoes the other day, and I couldn’t get enough of the sauce. The sauce is spicy, sweet, and tangy–a combination of crushed tomatoes, sambal oelek, and coconut milk. Naturally, I wondered if the sauce would work well with other recipes. After doing several rounds of testing, I landed on this sambal noodles recipe.
I kept most of the key ingredients the same, but I also made a few tweaks. To make the sauce silkier for tossing with noodles, I used tomato sauce as the base instead of crushed tomatoes. However, you can use crushed tomatoes for the recipe. It’s just that the sauce will be a little thicker.
INGREDIENT FOCUS: SAMBAL ULEK
One of the key ingredients in this sambal noodles recipe is sambal ulek (also spelled as sambal oelek). This chili paste is native to Indonesia and commonly used in South Asian cuisine. Sambal means a hot sauce or paste made from chili peppers. Ulek means “to grind.” Put together, sambal ulek refers to a chili paste that is made from grinding chili peppers, usually with a pestle and mortar.
In general, I can find sambal oelek in grocery stores throughout Sacramento. Alternatively, they are available online on Amazon. I also tried this recipe with chili garlic sauce, which works as well. The only difference I noticed was that the chili garlic sauce seemed spicier, so you may want to use less.
HOW TO SLICE TOFU TRIANGLES
For the tofu, I like slicing them into triangles for presentation. To do so, I take a block of tofu, and slice it into 1/2-inch slices. Then, I take each slice and cut them in half to get 2 smaller rectangles. Finally, I take each rectangle and slice them diagonally to get small tofu triangles.
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30-Minute Spicy Sambal Noodles with Pan-Fried Tofu
Ingredients
Tofu
- 14 to 16 ounces super firm tofu (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons safflower oil (see note 2)
- pinch of kosher salt
Sambal Noodles
- 10 ounces rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons safflower oil
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 cup tomato sauce (can use crushed tomatoes or tomato puree)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons sambal ulek (sambal oelek)
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
- 1/4 cup canned coconut milk
- sliced scallions for garnish
Instructions
Pan Fry Tofu
- Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices. Then, cut them in half to get 2 smaller rectangles. Finally, take each rectangle and slice them diagonally to get small tofu triangles.
- Heat a large nonstick pan with 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu to the pan. If all the tofu doesn’t fit inside the pan, fry the tofu in 2 batches. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the tofu.
- Pan fry the tofu for 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Then, flip over the tofu and pan fry the other side for another 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave the tofu in the pan and set aside.
Cook Noodles
- While you pan fry the tofu, start cooking the noodles. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Add the rice noodles and cook them according to the package directions (I cooked mine for 5 to 6 minutes). Stir the noodles frequently to keep them from sticking together. This is particularly important when you first add the noodles to the saucepan.
- Once the noodles are cooked, drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water (see note 3).
Cook Sauce
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook them for about 2 to 3 minutes, until they soften. Next, add the minced garlic and ginger, and cook them for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the tomato sauce, sambal oelek, brown sugar, salt, and coriander (if using) to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cover the skillet with the lid, and let the sauce cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Uncover the skillet, add the coconut milk, and stir to combine.
- Scoop out 1/3 cup of the sauce and toss it with the tofu.
- Add the rice noodles to the remaining sauce and toss to coat the noodles with the sauce. Turn off the heat.
- Serve the noodles with the tofu. Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.
Notes
- You can also use extra-firm tofu for this recipe. Drain the block of tofu, wrap it in a layer of paper towels, and press it under a stack of plates for 15 to 20 minutes.
- You can use any neutral-flavored oil in this recipe, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, etc.
- Cooked rice noodles stick together easily. As an extra precaution, you can toss the cooked and rinsed noodles with 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil. This will prevent the noodles from getting gummy and sticking together.
Annie Yu says
Hi Lisa,
This looks like a tasty recipe to try. Do you think I can use fresh pad thai noodles instead of dry rice noodles in this dish?
Thank you for the information,
Annie
Lisa Lin says
Hi Annie, I’m so sorry but I just saw this comment. Yes, fresh pad thai noodles will work!!
Sherin Panacherry says
So so good and very easy to make! Will definitely be making it again
Lisa Lin says
Sherin, thanks for making the recipe! So glad you enjoyed it!
Aki says
Thanks for this recipe! These noodles are CRAZY addictive. I’m surprised I didn’t eat a whole pan of them in one sitting. This recipe’s definitely going in my rotation!
Beth says
A big hit with my non vegan family! Very easy and quick to make. Will be sure making a regular appearance on the dinner table!
Thank you for such a lovely recipe.
Alexandra says
Love this recipe. My partner said today that he could eat it every day and never get bored – so good!
Lisa Lin says
Thank you so much, Alexandra!!!
Herdis says
Yum, looks so great, I really want to try this. Do you have a great idea of what to use instead of tofu (for a vegan with soy allergy)? (I’ve gone with mushrooms or aubergine, but would love to try something new)
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Herdis! I haven’t made this in a while, but have you tried shan tofu? It’s Burmese-style “tofu,” where you use mix chickpea flour with water and steam it so that it hardens. This reminds me that I need to make a recipe of it soon. Otherwise, I’d roast a bunch of vegetables (zucchini/courgette, peppers, carrots) and serve the noodles with roasted vegetables.
Herdis says
Hi, no I have never heard of this! Will try it out, otherwise the roasted veggies sound great as well. Thank you so much, and all the best from Iceland! 😉
Jennie says
This noodle dish looks fantastic! My taste buds are tingling. I adore your blog and your food photography.