Your Guide to Perfectly Cooked Noodles, Everytime!

I spoiled many foolproof dishes when I was first starting out, all because I didn't know how to cook my noodles properly. Mushy noodles, overcooked, undercooked, flavourless—you name it! There’s no need to feel bad about it, though. Cooking noodles or pasta might seem easy. But getting them just right can be tricky, whether it's chow mein, hakka noodles, or any kind of pasta! But this doesn’t have to be the case for you.

In the Asian noodle world context, if you're aiming for perfectly cooked noodles, you might say you want them to be "toothsome," kind of like "al dente" in Italian cuisine. To achieve that toothsome texture, follow these steps, tips, and tricks to keep in mind the next time you make a noodle dish. Rest assured, you won’t suffer the same fate I did!

How to Cook Noodles Just Right

1. Start with the Right Setup: Grab a large pot—give those noodles plenty of room to move around and not stick! Fill it up with 4-5 litres of water for every 500 grams of noodles.
   
   
2. Get Salty: Sprinkle a generous amount of salt into your pot. This isn't just for flavour; it helps the noodles cook more evenly and taste better overall.
   
   
3. Patience, My Friend: We all love instant gratification, but good noodles take time. First, bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat, then add your noodles. Trust me, it's worth the wait!
   
   
4. For Once, Stir the Pot!: Once your water is boiling, toss in the noodles and give them a good stir. This keeps them from sticking together. Keep stirring occasionally as they cook.
   
   
5. Drain and Decide: If you're using Chilzo’s whole wheat Hakka noodles or Chow Mein noodles, they should be done in around 6 minutes. Check for whether they can be deemed “toothsome”. When they're done, drain the noodles in a colander. If you're making a hot dish, there's no need to rinse them. But if you're making a cold noodle salad or need to stop the cooking ASAP, rinse them under cold water.

Pro Tips and Tricks to Get the Perfect Noodles!

1. Don't dump all that starchy goodness, save it for the sauce! Pasta water is liquid gold, so keep some handy for adjusting your sauce's consistency. Add a splash at a time until it's just right.
   
   
2. Check the package for cooking time—it's basically a noodle cheat sheet. Chilzo’s noodles have definitive instructions about the time on the packaging. So, you can trust that to be accurate. But here's the real test: try a noodle a minute or two before it's supposed to be done. You want them "al dente"—firm but not rock hard.
   
   
3. As soon as those noodles hit al dente status, get them off the heat. They'll keep cooking a bit even after you pull them, so no worries about ending up with undercooked bites!
   
   
4. Oil 'em up if needed. If you plan on keeping the noodles waiting for a bit after they’ve cooked, toss them with a drizzle of olive oil. It'll keep the noodles from forming a sticky noodle brick.

Cooking noodles to perfection is a skill that can take your kitchen game from good to great. Simply follow these steps and incorporate these tips and tricks, to ensure that your noodles are always cooked to perfection, no matter the type. Try them and let me know how it goes!