thai noodles – bFeedme

Mee Krob or Mi krop literally means crispy noodles in Thai. It is a crunchy stir-fried noodle dish is a bit spicy and it is great with spring rolls or grilled meat.

Ingredients:

150g fresh silken firm tofu

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

125g rice vermicelli

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 eggs beaten lightly

1 tablespoon water

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 fresh small red chili, chopped finely

1 small green chili, chopped finely

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

200g pork mince

200g cooked small prawns, shelled and chopped coarsely

6 green onions, sliced thinly

1/4 cup firmly packed fresh coriander leaves

Pat-dry the tofu using paper towels. Slice them into 1cm strips. After, place them on a tray lined with paper towels. Cover them with some more paper towels and let them stand for 10 minutes.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Deep fry the vermicelli in batches. Drain the excess oil and then set aside.

In the same wok or frying pan, deep fry the tofu in batches until they are light brown. Once again, drain the excess oil.

Heat 2 teaspoons of peanut oil in a different wok or frying pan. Combine the beaten egg and the water. Mix and then pour half of the mixture into the pan. Swirl it to make a thin omelette. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the egg is set. Remove from the wok and roll the omelette. Cut it into thin strips and set aside. Repeat the process with the remaining egg.

Place the garlic, red chili, green chili, sugar, fish sauce, tomato sauce, and vinegar in a small bowl. Mix well. Transfer half of the mixture into a small jug.

Put the pork mince in the bowl with the chili mixture to marinate it. After, heat the remaining peanut oil in a wok over medium heat and then stir-fry the marinated pork mince for 5-8 minutes until cooked and light brown. Add the prawns and stir-fry them for 1-2 minutes until they turn pink. Stir in the fried tofu and lightly toss. Cook it for another 1-2 minutes until heated through. Transfer the pork mince, shrimp and tofu mixture to a plate.

Pour the reserved chili sauce mixture into the same wok. Add the onions and fried vermicelli. Toss until the noodles are coated in chili sauce. Transfer to a serving plate and top with omelette strips and coriander leaves. Serve warm.

Photo Courtesy Of: Ron Dollete

Aside from being a soup fan these days, I have also been quite fond of noodles. It is not because I am trying to avoid rice, but due to the fact that they are just good. Thai noodles are sweet, spicy and very tasty that is why I decided to look into other variations, since we are more accustomed to pad Thai.

Pad sieu is a Thai noodle dish that uses wide rice noodles. It may not be as famous as pad Thai, but is also tasty. This recipe uses chicken, but you can add pork and shrimp as well. It is a filling meal that is easy to prepare.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1kg fresh wide rice noodles

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 fresh small red Thai chilies, sliced thinly

600g chicken thigh fillets, chopped coarsely

250g baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise

4 green onions, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup young corn

2 shallots, sliced

Vegetable oil

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or skillet under medium heat. Fry the shallots until they are golden brown; stir-occasionally. Transfer the shallots in a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Soak the noodles in a bowl of boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Separate the noodles with a fork. Drain.

Place 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or skillet under medium heat. Sauté the garlic and chili for 2-3 minutes or until it becomes fragrant. Add the chicken and stir-fry it for 5 minutes or until it is light brown. Stir in the bok choy, young corn and green onions. Cook it for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, oyster sauce, fish sauce, kecap manis and sugar. Mix well until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the noodles and the sauce. Lightly toss the noodles while stir-frying to make sure it is coated in the sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with fried shallots before serving.

Photo Courtesy Of: avlxyz