Thai Peanut Noodles

By Hester

Ingredients

• PEANUT STIR-FRY SAUCE:
• 8-12 oz. rice noodles, linguini-width, enough for 2-4 people
• optional: 1 to 1.5 cups cubed firm tofu, OR 2 chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 2-3 cups bean sprouts
• 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1-3 tsp. sesame oil
• generous handful fresh basil
• vegetable oil for stir-frying
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste
• 1 cup dry-roasted peanuts, unsalted
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce (use wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets)
• 3-4 Tbsp. brown sugar, to taste
• 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced, OR 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from thaifood.about.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place cubed tofu or chicken (if using) in a bowl together with 3 Tbsp. soy sauce. Stir to combine and set aside to marinate while you prepare other ingredients.

2. Stir tamarind paste into the hot water until dissolved. Pour into your food processor or blender. Add all other Peanut Stir-Fry Sauce ingredients and blitz. Taste-test for sweetness and spice, adding more sugar or chili/cayenne if desired. Set aside.

3. Boil rice noodles to soften. Note: you still want them firm and too 'crunchy' to eat (firmer than 'al dente'). Drain and rinse well with cold water to stop the cooking process.

4. Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil and swirl around, then add the tofu or chicken. Stir fry until lightly browned and cooked. Remove from heat and transfer to a clean bowl. Set aside.

5. Return wok/pan to heat and add 2-3 Tbsp. more oil. Now add the noodles (you'll hear them sizzle as they hit the hot oil). Using two utensils and a lifting-turning motion, stir-fry 1 minute.

6. Add 1/3 to 1/2 of the peanut stir-fry sauce, plus the fried tofu or chicken (if using). Stir-fry until sauce is distributed throughout the noodles.

7. Add the bean sprouts plus a little more of the sauce. Stir-fry and taste-test as you go, adding more sauce until desired taste is achieved. Stir-fry until noodles are soft but still pleasantly chewy. Add more fish sauce if not salty or flavorful enough.

8. Top with a drizzle of sesame oil followed by a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds. Sprinkle over green onion and fresh basil. Enjoy!