This here is the reason I started loving homemade Thai food. My husband made this one day and its unreal how delicious it is!! It used to be like a rare delicacy he would make. But now its such a staple. This is for nights you don’t want to cook and still want to eat well! I think 30 minutes tops for cooking plus 10 minutes mise en plus. Delish.
Also, I have been on such a Thai kick lately. I have such phases. Haha. Anyways, I got some red curry paste, panang curry paste, and massaman curry paste. I know I know I should make them from scratch and worry not, I will! But I wanted to get a hang of the curry flavor profiles. I have eaten them around the world many times, but needed to try it out at the home front. Needless to say, coconut milk is like my thing now. Why shouldn’t it be. I want to add it to everything. Stop me now.
So here is the recipe. I do not claim it to be uber authentic. I need to compare it to the recipe in the “Simple Thai Food” cookbook. I’ll post changes, if any, later. But this dish as is, is a winner. Go make some. 🙂
Ingredients (Serves 4 moderately hungry people)
1 Packet Rice Noodles
1 Red Bell Pepper ( Can sub with Green bell pepper, but I like the color of the red for this dish) cut into thin strips
2 Shallots, finely minced
3 Cloves Garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup Fish Sauce
1/3 cup Oyster Sauce
1/3 cup Lemon Juice (I use bottled, fresh works well too)
1 Cup loosely packed Basil Leaves
2 tablespoon Peanut oil or Olive oil
1 lb Ground Chicken or Turkey ( I always end up using turkey but either option works)
Optional: Eggs x 4
How to?
1. Add the shallots and the garlic to the oil and saute for a minute or two. You do not want them to brown or worse, burn. Just get the aromatics working and get them ready. In the meantime, get some water boiling for the noodles.
2. Once the shallots and garlic are done, add in the ground meat. Try thawing it out before use. That way you can squeeze out excessive water before adding it into the pan. If there still is a lot of water residue, try draining some or add corn starch slurry to absorb. This is not as big a problem as I am making it out to be. I promise. ❤
3. Once the meat is cooked through and through, turn the heat up and add the bell pepper. Saute this well with the rest and get it only a little soft. Lets not go for mushy. Contrast in texture is a wonderful thing people! In the meantime, water is vigorously boiling. Turn the heat off. Add the noodles. Put on the lid and let it cook. Normally, takes me about 12 minutes. Check as you go. Once done, run them through cold water for 10 seconds to loosen them up. This way they don’t clump! Keep aside.
4. Now to the dish, add the three sauces and let them boil up. Once they do, mix them around well and add the noodles. Ooh it will look out of the world right about now.
5. Optional: scramble some eggs on a separate pan and add after the noodles. or you can scramble it in the same pan on the side.
6. Add the basil leaves whole (if small) or tear them up and add in.
7. Eat. Eat. Eat. Leftovers taste delicious as well!
Happy eating! 🙂
Out of my comfort zone 