Tips to prevent sticky noodles

It’s enough to drive you crazy: you cook your rice noodles exactly as indicated on the package, and yet they still end up sticking together. And not just a little bit, either. How can you prevent it from happening time and time again?

Do you want to slurp them up hot?
Then let them soak, depending on how thick the rice noodles are, for six to ten minutes in warm water—it doesn’t need to be boiling. Stay nearby and loosen the noodles a few times. They’ll become soft, but they really don’t need to be completely cooked through yet. Stir the noodles into the dish as quickly as possible after draining them. The starch on the outside of the noodles is what makes them stick together, so it’s important to quickly coat that layer with, for example, the sauce in the pan and, if necessary, a splash of sesame oil. And don’t worry about the firm center: it will soften on its own in the wok.

Are you eating the rice noodles cold?
Then pour cold water over them as soon as you take them out of the warm water. This prevents them from continuing to cook and rinses the starch off the noodles. Even better, stir a little sesame oil through them afterward as well. Not serving them immediately? Give the noodles another good stir from time to time to loosen them up.