How to Prepare Shirataki Noodles

How to Prepare Shirataki Noodles

Those of you who are new to low-carb/keto eating may not know what shirataki are. Some of you who have been at this awhile may have tried them only to dislike them. I am here to explain shirataki for the newbies and, perhaps, improve their appeal for those who were unimpressed. (If you are in the latter group, jump down to the How To Prepare Shirataki section.)

What is Tofu Shirataki?

They are a traditional Japanese noodle that is naturally very low in both carbohydrates and calories. For those of us who like them, this makes them a valuable addition to our low-carb/keto cuisine.

Shirataki are made from a fiber called glucomannan, extracted from a root called konjac or konnyaku, sometimes translated “yam.” Because they are made solely or mostly from fiber*, shirataki have virtually no impact on blood sugar.

* I discovered while writing this article that the nutrition label on House Brand Tofu Shirataki now considers a packet to be one serving rather than two. It also now reads “6g Total Carbohydrate,” and “0g dietary fiber.” I was flummoxed, so I called the company. It turns out that this is because of a change in how the USDA is defining “fiber.” If you’d like to see the whole thing, look here: https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/questions-and-answers-dietary-fiber#define_dietary_fiber

But the basic gist is that “added fiber” may only be counted if it’s of certain types that the USDA has deemed valuable. They’ve included, for instance, our common thickeners guar and xanthan, but have not yet made that call for glucomannan. It is on the list of fibers waiting to be approved, so I expect that someday soon shirataki will once again list their fiber content. In the meanwhile, recognize that this is governmental wordplay, not nutritional fact.

There are a few basic types of shirataki, the two most common being traditional shirataki and tofu shirataki.** Traditional shirataki are made solely from water, konjac flour (glucomannan), and calcium hydroxide, a lime water solution. According to Wikipedia, traditional shirataki are 97% water, 3% konjac, making them low-carb, low-calorie, low-everything.

** I have also tried shirataki with chickpea flour added, rather than tofu. I did not like the texture of these as well as that of the tofu shirataki, but some people prefer them. Sadly, I forget the brand name. It’s Skinny brand shirataki have oat flour added, again for a tenderer texture. I have not tried them yet, but would be happy to review them in the future.

Traditional shirataki are, for lack of a better word, very Asian. They are translucent and have a chewy, gelatinous texture, quite different from the noodles we grew up on. I like them only in Asian-style dishes, where I like them a lot. I have happily used traditional shirataki in everything from sesame noodles to pad Thai to pho. I have found both skinny ones, the same diameter as spaghetti, and broader, fettuccini-shaped traditional shirataki. Traditional shirataki can also be found in little bits the size of short-grained rice; this is, logically enough, used as a rice substitute. The most common brand of traditional shirataki in America is Miracle brand – Miracle Noodles and Miracle Rice. The health food stores in my Indiana town stock these.

Logically enough, tofu shirataki have these ingredients plus a little bit of tofu added. How much? My packet of House Brand Tofu Shirataki says that the whole packet contains 2 grams of protein. Since my Miracle Rice contains no protein, we can assume that all the protein in the tofu shirataki comes from the tofu. MasterCook (my cooking program) tells me that this would be the protein content of 4 teaspoons of tofu, so not a lot. I don’t eat a lot of soy foods but am not afraid of 4 teaspoons of tofu now and then.

That small quantity of tofu makes shirataki white instead of translucent. It also makes them more tender, rather than chewy like the traditional variety. They are not identical to the wheat-based Western pasta we grew up on, but they are closer, and I enjoy them in all sorts of recipes, from fettuccini Alfredo to tuna-noodle casserole. If you are among the shirataki-haters but have only tried the traditional variety, you owe it to yourself to give tofu shirataki a try.

Either kind of shirataki adds volume to a dish while adding almost no carbs or calories. A tablespoon of butter, a tablespoon of whipped cream cheese, and a tablespoon of grated Parmesan don’t amount to much. Tossed with a bowl of hot shirataki they become a satisfying meal.

These, too, come in a variety of shapes – I have had spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccini, and macaroni-shaped tofu shirataki. I can get the spaghetti shape locally but order fettuccini and macaroni-shaped shirataki by the case (12 packets). The package says to refrigerate them, but I don’t, and have not had them go bad in the 4-5 months it takes me to use them up. DO NOT FREEZE SHIRATAKI. They will fall apart into mush.

How to Prepare Shirataki

Preparation is simple but vital with shirataki. Here’s how I’ve done it for years:

1. Shirataki come pre-hydrated in a pouch of water, so you do not need to cook them to tenderness. Instead, you need to drive off excess moisture that would otherwise dilute your sauce. So —
2. Put a strainer in the sink. Snip open the packet and dump the noodles into the strainer. They will smell like fish. This is where many people decide they dislike shirataki. Panic not; we will be fixing that.
3. Rinse your shirataki. With the long ones – spaghetti, angel hair, and fettuccini – I also use my kitchen shears to snip across them in an X pattern, since they are quite long.
4. Put your noodles in a microwaveable bowl and nuke them on high for 2-3 minutes. Drain them again. Put them back in the bowl and zap them for another 2-3 minutes, then drain one last time. Your noodles are now hot, bland-smelling, and free of excess moisture. Note that all this microwaving and draining takes less time than boiling water to cook regular dry pasta.

(Also worth mentioning is that you can save a minute if you have a microwave steamer – just put your noodles in it with no water in the bottom and leave the lid off. Microwave for 5 minutes; the water will drip into the bottom part of the steamer. This is now how I prepare mine, but I assume most of you lack a microwave steamer.)

You may now use your hot, non-fishy, non-oozing noodles as you wish. Or even let them cool and make a pasta salad. Up to you!

Low-Carb Seriously-Inauthentic-Kinda-Asian Pork Stew Recipe

More Low Carb Recipes & Articles by Dana Carpender