I have mentioned my love for Thai food before. I cook it quite often and much more so as the entire family enjoys it as much. And while I am not a huge fan of noodles, Thai style stir fried noodles are an exception.
As in most Thai foods, there is so much happening in terms of flavours, that the guilt of enjoying this relatively processed food kind of wears off. Add your choice of grilled or roasted veggies or even meat and its a great one-pot meal. As a child, noodles used to feature regularly in our lunch boxes. Packed with vegetables, prepared the desi Chinese way, they would taste divine. And there’s another ingredient which takes it to another level. Masala bhurji! Yes, you heard it right! If you have not tried desi style noodles topped with masala bhurji, then you are missing something in life.
Well, coming back to the Thai style noodles. Most of us love Thai food except, some of us find the smell of fish sauce and or oyster sauce which some of the preparations have, a bit too strong to handle. Hence the recipe which I am going to share here uses neither of the two sauces. But if you would like to, you could always substitute some of the sauces used in the recipe with Oyster and Fish sauce.
Another ingredient that makes a world of difference to this dish, is the kind of noodles used. The thicker and chewier the noodles, the better they taste stir-fried. Thicker wheat noodles work best. But then again, if you are intolerant to gluten, use the ones which work for you. Just try to get a thicker variety. Now when you are boiling the noodles make sure not to overcook them lest they get sticky and clumpy. Do not forget to run it under cold water right after to stop the cooking process.
And last but not the least, my secret ingredient which replaces the fish and oyster sauce – Hoisin Sauce. It is a sauce made with soybeans, corn starch, and other ingredients.
As far as the veggies and meat to add to the stir fry are concerned, there is no limitation! Feel free to add your favourites. I usually add broccoli, carrot, mushroom, red and yellow bell peppers. You could either stir fry them or grill right before adding to the noodles and sauces. Chicken and prawns work best as far as meats are concerned.
So, here is the recipe for you to try. Do not forget to tag me on Instagram when you make this.
Ingredients
- Thick Wheat Noodles cooked as per package instructions- 4 cups
- Carrots, diced- 1
- Broccoli, cut into desired size- 1 cup
- Shiitake Mushroom, sliced-6
- Red Bell Pepper, sliced-1/2 cup
- Minced garlic-2 tbsp +1 tbsp for sauce
- Galangal- 3 teaspoons
- Shallots-1/4 cup
- Chicken thighs, cut into 1.5 inch pieces, marinated with some stir fry sauce and pepper-1 cup
- Spring Onions, chopped (for garnish)- 3 tablespoons
- Lime juice-2 tbsp
- Rice Wine Vinegar-4 tbsp ( You can play around with lime and rice wine vinegar quantities depending on the amount of sourness you desire in the dish)
- Soy Sauce- 4 tbsp (the quantities would differ based on the kind of soy sauce you use; I use light soy sauce which is less saltier than the dark variety)
- Hoisin Sauce-2 tbsp
- Sugar or Honey- 2 tsp or to taste
- White Pepper-1/2 tsp
- Chili flakes- 1tsp or to taste
- Fried dried garlic for garnish- 2 teaspoon
- Sesame oil or any oil of choice for stir frying- 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Boil the noodles and keep aside
- Mix all ingredients for the sauce(lime juice, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce,Hoisin sauce, sugar,white pepper,chili flakes and garlic), taste for salt, tanginess and sweetness and keep aside. Adjust any of the ingredients if needed
- In a wok, heat oil and add garlic and galangal, stir till fragrant and then add shallots. Cook,stirring continuously till the onions are translucent
- Add marinated chicken (if using) and cook until 70 percent done, followed by the vegetables, keeping in mind to add veggie slice mushroom and peppers which cook fast, towards the end. Add 2 tablespoons of the sauce while cooking the veggies
- Once the meat and veggies are cooked through, add boiled (and cooled) noodles followed by the sauce, mixing well with tongs preferably instead of a spatula. This ensures gentle mixing and avoids breaking the noodles
- Garnish with spring onions, dried fried garlic and serve hot
[kkstarratings]
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