1 pkg extra firm tofu, cubed
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1-2c shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1 or 2 green onions, thinly sliced
handful cilantro, chopped
2-3 Tb. oil (peanut or sesame)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste (or use fresh minced ginger and garlic)
1 clove minced garlic
4c. cold cooked white rice
2 red chilis (whole)
2 eggs
Sauce:
2T. soy sauce
1T. fish sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp white sugar
1T. water
Prep the ingredients as follows:
Rinse and drain tofu. Squeeze water out with paper towels. Cut into small cubes. Wash and prep all veggies. Mix sauce in a bowl or glass measuring cup, stirring well, set aside.
Using large skillet, heat 1Tb. oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add a little of the shallot and 1 clove of garlic. Cook until fragrant and soft, then add tofu. Salt tofu well, and cook until lightly browned. Set aside in a bowl.
Add 2 Tb. oil to skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the rest of the shallot, the ginger-garlic paste, and the red chilis. Be prepared to stir frequently as the ginger-garlic paste causes oil to splutter. Add mushrooms, cook until soft (you might have to add a little water if pan is too dry) then add red peppers. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until mushrooms begin to brown. Remove from pan. Be sure to remove the 2 red chilis.
Heat a dash of oil in skillet. Scramble eggs in a dish and then add to skillet. Leave it to cook for a few minutes, adding a dash of salt. When egg is mostly cooked, flip it over and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan. Allow to cool a minute, then slice it into thin strips.
Add rice to the hot skillet and stir to break up the chunks. Then add other ingredients back in: tofu, mushrooms and peppers, egg. Add the cilantro and green onion. Stir to combine, and add the sauce. Mix well and cook another few minutes until everything is heated through.
Serve with Sriracha.
Bangkok Style Drunken Noodles
Fatigued and hungry revelers in Bangkok who seek a middle-of-the-night meal are given this spicy noodle dish (the hot chilies are meant to wake you up). But even milder versions are delicious, so if your spice-o-meter tends to stay near mild, not to worry - this noodle recipe is delicious with or without chilies. And it can be made vegetarian (as in this recipe), or with shrimp or chicken, according to your taste. As a bonus, the addition of lots of vegetables means these noodles are healthy as well as delicious. So party on!
INGREDIENTS:
8-10 oz. dried wheat or egg noodles, OR instant-type noodles (SERVES 3-4)
2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced very thinly, or cut into thin strips with scissors (remove stem)
2 shallots, thinly sliced and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece galangal (or ginger), sliced thinly
1 red chilli, sliced finely (and de-seeded if milder noodles are desired)
1/2 pkg. firm tofu (if non-vegetarian, you can substitute shrimp or bite-size pieces of chicken)
3 tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 head broccoli, cut into florets, OR 1 cup bok choy or other Chinese-type cabbage
approx. 1 cup bean sprouts
approx. 1 cup fresh coriander leaves
handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped if large
oil for stir-frying
STIR-FRY SAUCE:
1 1/2 Tbsp. ground bean sauce (also called "yellow bean" - it is actually a soy bean sauce found in Asian groceries)
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or substitute white vinegar)
1 Tbsp. vegetarian fish sauce (or regular fish sauce) - available at Chinese/Vietnamese/Asian food stores
1 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
Optional: 1/2 to 1 tsp. Thai chili sauce (see below for homemade recipe), OR 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
PREPARATION:
Place noodles in a pot of boiling water over medium-high heat. Stir until noodles have separated. When cooked "al dente" (chewy - not too soft), drain and rinse with cold water (to prevent sticking).
To make the stir-fry sauce, place all sauce ingredients in a cup and stir well. Do a taste test (note that the sauce will be very strong at this point - it will be diluted later when added to the noodles). If too sour, add a little more sugar. If not salty enough, add more fish sauce.
In a wok or large/deep frying pan over medium to high heat, add a few Tbsp. oil plus the lime leaves, shallots, garlic, galangal (or ginger), red chili, and tofu. (If you are using chicken or shrimp, add them at this point as well.) Stir-fry 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Stir-frying tip: When wok/pan becomes too dry, add a little water, white wine or sherry (or cooking wine), or broth 1 Tbsp. at a time (instead of adding more oil). This will save you calories and added fat.
Add the broccoli and stir-fry another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until broccoli has turned bright green.
Add the stir-fry sauce plus the noodles and tomatoes. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, turning the noodles as you fry in order to incorporate sauce.
Remove from heat and add the bean sprouts and coriander leaves. Toss in the wok to combine.
Do a taste test for salt, adding more fish sauce (instead of salt) if needed. If too salty for your taste, add another squeeze of lime juice. If the noodles don't have enough heat, add more fresh chili or chili sauce (see below for recipe link).
Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve with Thai chili sauce, either store-bought or my own homemade Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce Recipe. This dish goes especially well with a cold lager (or a glass of chilled white wine). Enjoy!
