Sauteed Rice Noodles
Submitted by ncastle
Sauteed rice noodles in the Thai pad thai style with shrimp, bean curd, pickled turnip, egg, bean sprouts, ground peanuts and fresh chili. Tangy, savory, and finished with lemon.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
2 hrsThis is home-style Thai pad thai in everything but name. Soaked flat rice noodles get tossed in a hot wok with garlic, shrimp, cubes of bean curd and chopped pickled turnip, bound together with a tangy sauce of fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and paprika.
A two-hour cold soak is the real move with dried rice noodles. Boiling them upfront makes them gluey and pasty; the slow cold soak leaves them flexible but still firm, so they can take heat without breaking apart. Drain and cover with a damp towel until you’re ready to stir-fry.
When the eggs hit the pan, pushing the noodles to the edges to create a clear space in the middle is the classic technique. The beaten eggs scramble quickly without clumping into the noodles, then everything gets folded back together. Ground peanuts, bean sprouts and chili go in at the end so they stay crunchy, with lemon wedges on the side for the essential acid hit.
Pro Tips
- Don’t skip the pickled turnip (preserved radish) if you can find it. It’s what gives authentic pad thai that distinctive funky-sweet background note.
- Have every ingredient prepped before you start. Wok cooking happens fast and there’s no time to chop mid-fry.
- Heat the oil until it’s shimmering before adding garlic. Lukewarm oil produces soggy noodles.
- Serve immediately. Rice noodles tighten up and clump within a few minutes of plating.
Variations
- Swap shrimp for sliced chicken thigh or tofu only for a vegetarian version.
- Use tamarind paste in place of vinegar for a more traditional sour-sweet flavor.
- Add a handful of garlic chives or Chinese chives with the bean sprouts.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, soak the rice noodles in 10 to 12 cups of cold water for 2 hours.
Drain and cover with a damp towel to retain moisture.
In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil and stir-fry the garlic until it is light brown.
Add the shrimp, bean curd and pickled turnips; stir in the vinegar, fish sauce, paprika and sugar.
When thoroughly mixed, fold in the noodles.
When the noodles are completely coated, spread them out to the sides of the wok or frying pan, leaving a space in the middle.
Add the beaten eggs.
As the eggs cook, fold the noodles over them and stir to combine all of the ingredients evenly.
Stir in half of the bean sprouts, then add the scallions, ground peanuts and chopped chili pepper.
Toss several times to mix well.
Serve on a large platter with lemon wedges.
Top with the remaining bean sprouts and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve the crushed red pepper on the side, for those who like it extra-spicy.
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