Thai Curried Noodles for #Food of the World

We are visiting Thailand for this month's Food of the World event. Thai cuisine is one of my favorite and I have tried and posted quite a few Thai dishes on the blog. I looked through my 'Buddha's Table' cookbook and found this Curried Noodles recipe.

This is a spicy and delicious dish that is perfect to serve on a chilly winter day. The list of ingredients is long but all of them are easily available in well stocked Asian grocery stores. I made a trip to my local Korean market to get the noodles and some other ingredients and I was set to make the dish.

Like most of the Thai dishes, this one starts with the preparation of the spice paste. Once the paste is ready, make the curry sauce. Serve the sauce over small nests of noodles along with the accompaniments and you have a flavorful and filling dish that is sure to tickle all your tastebuds.

The curry sauce is spicy, tangy and slightly sweet. The accompaniments make this dish extra special. It takes a few minutes of chopping and cleaning but all that time is well worth it. If you want to make this dish, make sure to enjoy with all the toppings.

Thai Curried Noodles

Ingredients:

• 5~8 Large Dried Red Chilies like California, New Mexico or guajillo chilies)
• 2 Medium Shallots, finely minced
• 2tbsp Lemongrass, minced (from the midsection of 2 lemongrass stalks)
• 2tbsp Garlic, minced
• 1tbsp Galangal, minced
• 1tbsp Cilantro roots or stems, chopped
• 1tsp Turmeric
• 1tsp Salt
• 1 pound Dried Kanom Jeen noodles or Japanese Somen noodles
• 3tbsp Oil
• 2cups Firm Tofu, diced
• 2cups Mushrooms of choice, sliced
• 4cups Water or Vegetable Stock
• 2cups Chopped Cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2tbsp Light Soy sauce or more to taste
• 2tbsp Fermented yellow bean sauce (I added some soy sauce and 2tsp coconut palm sugar instead)
• To taste Salt
• 4 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced (as accompaniment)
• 6 Small dried chilies (as accompaniment)
• 2cups Bean Sprouts (as accompaniment)
• 1 Lime, cut into 6 wedges (as accompaniment)
• 3 Green Onions, cut into 1" long strips (as accompaniment)
• 6 Cilantro Sprigs (as accompaniment)

Method:

1. Make the Spice paste: Stem and seed the chilies. Soak them in warm water for 10~15 minutes or until soft. Drain and squeeze dry.
2. In a small food processor combine the chilies, minced shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro roots/ stems, turmeric and salt. Grind to a smooth paste adding little bit of water. Spice paste can also be made using mortar and pestle.
3. Cook Noodles: Bring a large pot of water to boil, cook noodles for 3~5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again. Portion the noodles into 3 oz small wads, about the size of a small bird's nest and set aside.
4. Prep Accompaniments: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and fry for 3~5 minutes or until light brown and crispy. Remove from the oil onto a paper towel lined plate. In the same oil, fry the red chilies until crispy, about 2~3 minutes. Remove onto a paper towel.
5. Arrange all the other accompaniments in small serving bowls or on a large serving platter.
6. Make the Curry: In the same oil, stir in the spice paste and cook for 3~5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the tofu and mushrooms and stir well to coat with the spice paste.
7. Add the vegetable stock or water, tomatoes, light soy sauce, yellow bean sauce (or more soy sauce and coconut palm sugar), and salt. Bring to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15~20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
9. Ladle the curry sauce into a serving bowl and serve along with the accompaniments.
10. To Serve: Place a couple wads of noodles in a serving bowl, top with a generous amount of curry sauce, sprinkle all the condiments on top of the noodles and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Please visit our cohosts blogs and follow their sites! 

Diane: http://www.simplelivingeating.com 

Adelina: http://www.homemaidsimple.com 

Shey: http://justnotthecakes.blogspot.com 

Mireille: http://www.theschizochef.com/blog/

Usha: http://www.myspicykitchen.net

Pavani: http://www.cookshideout.com

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