Main plate
8 oz. rice noodles
2 tbs. tamarind paste
2 tbs. warm water
1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. garlic
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 c. unsweetened coconut milk
8 oz. tofu (or chicken, tempe, chicken & shrimp) (optional)
2 carrots
1 tbs. salted soya beans (or peanuts)
1 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 tbs. water
1 tbs. fish sauce
1 c. bean sprouts (or snow peas)
1/2 red bell pepper
cucumber
chopped peanuts
chopped cilantro
2 stems green onion
1 tbs. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1. Put rice noodles in cold water for one hour (if using linguine size, 15 minutes if using vermicelli, no more).
2. Combine tamarind paste w/ warm water and let soak, then mash and transfer to strainer and mash pulp to get liquid into the bowl. Scrape juice off the strainer. Should have ~2 T liquid. Reserve and mix with sugar and 1 tsp. fish sauce, set aside. Combine tomato paste, 1 T water and 1 T fish sauce, set second sauce aside.
3. If using vermicelli, strain noodles.
4. Prep veggies and tofu (or chicken/shrimp - c/s chop until minced). If not using tofu, add extra veggies (bok choy, broccoli). Roughly chop onion, slice carrots, cut 3/4 of the bell pepper into chunks, reserve a few strips for garnish, trim snow peas, slice scallions, chop peanuts, chop cilantro, slice cucumber. Drain linguine size noodles if using after 1 hour. Arrange ingredients for two separate stir fries, making sure to get the fish sauce mixtures right.
5. Heat 1 T oil in wok until it is about to smoke. Add garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add onion and stir-fry for 1 minutes. Add 1 c. coconut milk and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until bubbling hard. Add carrots and other hard veggies, or chicken/shrimp mixture, and stir-cook for 2 minutes.
6. Quickly add soy beans/whole peanuts, then tamarind/sugar/fish sauce mixture, stir for 30 seconds, then add softer veggies and stir-fry for 2 more minutes until everything is bubbling. Transfer to a bowl and cover.
7. Heat remaining 1 c. coconut milk. Add tomato paste/fish sauce, stir until bubbling. Add strained noodles to the wok, stirring for 2 minutes with a shoveling motion to moisten all noodles. Add 3/4 bean sprouts and all the green onion, stirring for 1 minute.
8. Transfer to a serving dish and top w/ first mixture.
9. Heat remaining tsp. oil, beat eggs lightly and fry for 2-3 minutes, pulling from sides, in between a omellet and scrambled. Chop and garnish noodles along with peanuts, cucumber, red pepper and cilantro, serve w/ a side of chili sauce.