Camote Bihon (Sweet Potato Noodles) is a quick and easy gluten-free recipe from the Philippines. Packed with stir fried vegetables, mushrooms, beef, glass vermicelli noodles and a light aromatic sauce.
This sweet potato noodles recipe is similar to the Korean Japchae recipe because it is packed with colorful crunchy vegetables. However, its the simple Philippine' sauce with a spritz of fresh lime juice that keeps you going back for seconds. Who wants thirds? Or Maybe fourths? Be sure to save a little room for our tropical Maja Blanca dessert at the end of the meal.
What Are Sweet Potato Noodles?
These addictive sweet potato vermicelli are going to blow your mind. Sweet potato noodles are a type of cellophane noodles (glass noodles). They are made with sweet potato starch and water instead of mung beans like in our spicy tomato glass noodle soup. You can find them at most Asian Markets, Whole Foods even on Amazon. These noodles have this addictive slurping quality and bite that makes your mouth want more. Who wants to try some?
Flavor and Texture
Sweet potato noodles are glassy, tender, chewy, but light and filling at the same time and so easy to slurp down. They have a delicate sweet flavor all on their own but really pick up any flavors you put in with the noodles.
We used Korean clear glass noodles made from sweet potato starch. In Korea, these little noodle snacks are the main ingredient in japchae dish with similar vegetables but of course with some added chilis, garlic and a little sugar.
How to Make Sweet Potato Noodles?
When you cook sweet potato noodles, they go from this gray white color to translucent. They only take 5-7 minutes to cook in boiling water. Alternatively, you can soak in warm water for 20 minutes and then rinse with cold water and then add them to your favorite recipes.
Special Guest from the Philippines
This special Camote Bihon noodle recipe is brought to you by our very special guest, Shirley Villan. She is also the chef who suggested we make coconut fish and avocado candy for dessert.
Camote Bihon would mostly be served around a special occasion in the Philippines like for your birthday, festival, Christmas or New Years. They believe that you should not cut the long noodles as it symbolizes longevity just like in our Chinese longevity noodles. This easy recipe from the Philippines is traditionally be made with two different type of noodles such a vermicelli and also a rice noodle or a sweet potato noodle.
However, if you are not serving your noodles for a birthday or at New Years, you might want to cut the noodles after you soak to make them a little easier to eat.
Cook Once - Eat Twice
We should probably warn you now that you should probably make more than you think you need as this dish is really tasty and so easy to make. Camote Bihon is delicious hot, room temperature or even cold. It is a perfect idea for lunch boxes for the kids or adults.
Make it just the way you like it
The fun part about this dish is you can add any protein or veggies you like. Our only suggestion is to keep the vegetables colorful like the rainbow. We used ground beef as that is what we happen to have on hand at the moment but in the Philippines it is more common to use pork or shrimps. However, chicken, tofu and egg are also delicious added in the noodles as well.
Eat the Rainbow!
Do you love eating the rainbow? We cut up fresh carrots, tri-colored peppers, mushrooms, cabbage and all sorts of vegetables. You are striving for is that little addictive crunch of the veggies along with the sweet potato noodles.
Please cut your vegetables in a thin Julian cut and keep them all in a uniform size.. so it is easier to eat.
Sauce
The sauce is so simple. Are you ready? Three little ingredients...
- oyster sauce
- vegetable bouillon broth
- fresh lime juice
We used gluten free oyster sauce by Lee Kum Lee in the green bottle. If you cannot find gluten free oyster sauce, you can substitute with tamari sauce if you need to keep gluten free. If you want to add a little spice throw in a little chili or sriracha sauce.
Vegan Options
To make this recipe vegan, swap the oyster sauce with tamari sauce, swap the ground beef with tofu or kikurage mushrooms and hold the egg.
How could that be any more easier? The fresh squeezed lime juice drizzled over the Camote Bihon (Sweet Potato Noodles) really takes this dish over the top.
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Camote Bihon (Sweet Potato Noodles)
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Noodles Stir Fry
- 250 grams Sweet Potato Starch Noodles
(dang myun) (½ package) - ½ pound ground beef
(Can exchange with pork, shrimp, chicken, tofu or whatever your little heart desires) - 2 tablespoon oil
- salt and pepper
to taste - 8 ounces mushrooms
sliced - 3 cloves garlic
finely minced - 1 onion small minced
- 1 carrot
julienne sliced - ½ red bell pepper
julienne sliced - ½ yellow bell pepper
julienne sliced - ½ orange bell pepper
julienne sliced - 8 ounces cabbage
thinly sliced - 1 egg
optional - 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon
gluten free - 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
Sauce
- 4 tablespoon oyster sauce
gluten free - 2 green onions
sliced on a diagonal - 4 tbs lime juice or juice from 2 limes
Instructions
- Boil potato starch noodles for about 5 - 7 minutes or until firm aldente. (You can also soak noodles in warm water for 10-20 minutes until firm aldente) Drain, rinse with cool water and drain again. (we do not like to add extra oil to the noodles as these noodles will loosen right back up if you run them back under cool water before stir frying) If you are not serving these at a birthday or New Years celebration, you may consider cutting your noodles in half with cooking scissors. They are really long and easier to eat when a bit shorter. Set aside.
- In a wok or frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil and fry ground beef or protein of choice and season with salt and pepper and stir fry until cooked. Drain any extra oil and set aside.
- In a small frying pan add a little oil and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened and fragrant. Set aside.
- If you would like to add egg, beat an egg and grease a small skillet with a little spray oil and pour the beaten eggs into pan. Cook over low medium heat for 2 minutes and flip over. Remove from the pan and slice into thin strips about the same size as your julian vegetables. (optional)
- In your wok/frying pan add a little oil, garlic, onions and carrots. Stir fry for one minute. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the carrots and a lid and steam carrots for about 1-2 minutes until aldente. Add red, yellow and orange bell pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and season well with salt and pepper and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. (You want your vegetables to have a nice crunch and they will also be cooked again with the final dish, so a little crunch is good) Feel free to use any vegetables your heart desires. Just be sure to cut them in all similar sized julian slices and also cook the hard vegetable first and then add the softer vegetables last to the wok. Remove the vegetables from the wok and set aside.
- Dissolve vegetable bouillon in warm water. Stir and set aside.
- Unless you have a restaurant sized wok, you are going to want to perform the next step in 2 different sessions. Your goal is to stir fry not too steam and that is exactly what happens when you overfill your wok with too many ingredients at a time.
- PERFORM THIS STEP TWICE (2 servings each) Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ cooked ground beef and ½ cooked rinsed sweet potato noodles to your wok. (if your sweet potato noodles have tried to stick together, go ahead and run them back under the cool water inside a colander and shake well and they will loosen right back up.) Add ½ cup of the vegetable bouillon water, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, ½ of the green onions and stir fry fro 1-2 minutes or until the water is evaporated. Toss in the sliced egg. Repeat process with the other half of ingredients.
- Serve delicious Camote Bihon into 4 bowls and sprinkle with fresh lime juice just upon serving. Enjoy! Sarap!
Notes
- If you are unable to find gluten free oyster sauce then you can exchange with tamari sauce.
- Feel free to substitute ground beef with ground pork, shrimp, tofu or any protein you desire.
- We used sweet potato noodles as we love these delicious noodles and they are gluten free but bihon is traditionally prepared with two types of noodles like vermicelli and a rice noodle. Use whatever kind of noodle you prefer.
- Fresh lime makes this dish extra delicious!
- Julienne slice is just a fancy way of saying sliced long and thin. The goal is to have all your ingredients roughly the same size so it is easier to eat.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a sealed covered container.
Nutrition
Roxane says
Delicious!
HWC Magazine says
Glad you enjoyed these quick stir fry noodles.
Dana says
I did not know there are noodles from potatoes -- esp sweet potatoes
HWC Magazine says
Hi here Dana! Yes, sweet potatoes and they are so good. You are going to love their texture. You can find this type of noodle at an Asian market.
Hester @ Alchemy in the Kitchen says
Gorgeous dish - I didn't know about sweet potato noodles but will definitely be looking out for them now. Gorgeous, gorgeous dish so packed full of colour and flavour. Can't wait to try!
rika@vm says
I usually eat sweet potato noodles in dark brothy noodle soups and ‘Jap Chae’ is one of my favorite types to use these noodles. Yum, such delicious veggies you’ve used in the dish - garlic chives, tri-colored bell peppers and carrots! I’ve never had this dish during my visit in Manila…I’m sure it tastes delicious with these veggies!!!