Adapted from a recipe by Hetty Lui McKinnon.
These noodles hilariously are not Singaporean at all. In the mid-20th century, curry powder had become one of the most recognizable flavors of Britain’s Asian colonies. At the time, Singapore was one of Britain’s biggest colonial ports and was known to be a glamorous, cosmopolitan crossroads of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and European food cultures. For Cantonese cooks in Hong Kong, "Singapore" became an easy way to signal a noodle dish that was colorful, a little exotic, and flavored with curry powder, and that’s how Singapore Noodles was born.
The base is Cantonese: stir-fried rice vermicelli cooked over a high heat wok, often with char siu, shrimp, eggs, onions, scallions, and bean sprouts. The curry powder adds a savory umami flavor alongside the crunch and freshness of the veggies and prawns.