Even though noodles were introduced by the Chinese in Mauritius over a century ago, Mauritians
have put their own stamp onto the food.
The Mauritian wheat noodles are quite different
to the packaged dry noodles available in the Asian markets or the Japanese ramen types
of noodles. Mauritian noodles are less chewy but still springy and firm enough to make
fried noodle dishes.
To achieve that springy texture, commercial noodles are made using alkaline salts known
as kansui. But kansui may not be available everywhere. So, after some research we found
a way to produce a stronger alkali in our own kitchen by baking some baking soda. When
baking soda is baked, it turns from sodium bicarbonate into sodium carbonate which is
a stronger alkaline salt.
To bake the baking soda, sprinkle a few spoonfuls on a baking sheet
lined with parchment paper and spread it out evenly. Bake for one hour on low temperature
at 120 degrees Celsius (or 250 degrees Fahrenheit). Remove from the oven and allow to cool before
transferring into a jar.
Baked baking soda keeps for about 6 months in a sealed jar.
It is important to note that baked baking soda is a stronger alkali.
You should avoid touching it with your bare fingers as it will
cause skin irritation. So, store it properly out of the reach of children and pets.
We’ve incorporated our own twist to these classic noodles with the addition of sweet
potato in the dough. We used the white variety of sweet potato, although the orange one will
work too. We are sharing both recipes – the plain noodles and sweet potato wheat noodles.
Check the description box for the link to the recipes. Although Kevin is demonstrating
the recipe with the addition of sweet potato, the procedure is the same for the plain noodles.
You just need to increase the amount of water as per the recipe.
You can cook the sweet potato either by steaming or boiling them. Once peeled, cut them into
small pieces and place them in a pan with some water filled up to ¾ the level of the
sweet potatoes. Cook covered on medium heat until they are soft. Once soft, remove from
the pan and mash the sweet potatoes to a smooth puree. Measure out ½ cup of the puree.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and sweet potato.
Mix the baked baking soda with the warm water until completely dissolved.
Pour in the water mixture into the flour mixture.
You will see the flour will turn yellow instantly. That’s the reaction of the alkaline liquid
with the flour and that is what makes the noodles springy.
Mix with a wooden spoon first and try to form a dough. Once all liquid is absorbed into
the flour, go in with your hand and start kneading into the bowl until a smooth dough
is obtained. Then continue kneading the dough on a lightly
floured surface for about 5 minutes.
Shape and flatten the dough lightly then begin
to roll it out. This dough is not exactly tough but it is
quite springy. So it will tend to retract as you roll it. You will need a little bit
of strength to roll it out.
Once it is stretched out a bit, fold it over and roll out again. Do this two to three times.
This will help the dough become smoother.
Then fold into a rectangle and place in a
reusable plastic bag or wrap in cling film or simply place in a closed container.
Allow the dough to rest for one hour at room temperature.
After the dough has rested, take it out of the bag and cut into two equal parts.
You may either roll and cut the noodles by hand or use the pasta machine.
To make the noodles by hand, roll the dough out flat to a large rectangle
of about 1 mm thick. So again, the dough is quite springy and will tend to retract. You
will need to use a little bit of strength like before to roll it out thin enough.
Dust the flattened dough with a little tapioca or potato starch. This will prevent the layers
from sticking and will make it easier to unroll the noodles afterward. Then roll the dough
onto itself a few times to create a flat log.
Cut thin strips of about 1-2 mm depending
on how thick you like your noodles.
Sprinkle with a little tapioca or potato starch. Mix and fluff the noodles to evenly distribute the starch.
This will prevent the noodles from sticking.
If you have a pasta machine, it is much easier and quicker to make these noodles.
So to make the noodles using the pasta machine, pass the dough a few times in the roller section.
Fold and pass through the machine again. Adjust the thickness to your liking.
We’ve set the thickness to 6.
Then pass the dough through the cutter to form the noodles.
Sprinkle with some tapioca or potato starch and fluff the noodles to evenly coat the starch onto them.
These noodles can be cooked right away or if you want to store them, divide them into
portions in reusable plastic bags and freeze until needed. Then cook directly from frozen,
no need to defrost.
These noodles are fresh and only require 1 to 3 minutes to cook. So, bring about a large
pot of water to a boil. Drop in the noodles. Stir lightly to avoid them from sticking.
Once cooked, remove from the hot water and plunge in some cold water to firm up the noodles.
If you are going to use them for stir frying only half-cook them (for about 30 seconds
to 1 minute). Then after rinsing in cold water you can toss them in a little oil and they
will be ready for stir frying.
If you are using these noodles with some toppings, you may then reheat them by immersing them
in some hot water again before serving. Or if you are using these noodles in a soup,
you may slightly under-cook them and transfer directly from the boiling water into the soup.
They will continue to cook a little.
It was only natural for us to gorge on these freshly boiled noodles paired with our previous
traditional rougaille recipe — a typical Mauritian combo. This one is an oyster mushroom
rougaille which is a variation of the red kidney bean and mushroom rougaille that is
already on the channel. Check the description box for the link. This is the type of food
that literally brings tears to your eyes. We hope you’ll enjoy making your own noodles
at home. Stay tuned for upcoming recipes as we use these noodles to make other dishes.
Until then, happy cooking!