Pad Thai Goong Sod (Fried Rice Noodles with Shrimps)

Dried rice-flour vermicelli is used for this dish, one of the dozens of noodle creation found in Thailand or in Asian grocery stores. The pickled white radish is available in cans. You can also replace the shrimp with chicken strips.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup of oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 10oz dried rice flour vermicelli, soaked in warm water to soften
• 1 tbsp of chopped pickled white radish
• 1 cake of hard soya beancurd
• 1 tsp of dried chillies
• 4tbsp of sugar
• 3 tbsp of fish sauce
• 4 tbsp of tamarind juice
• 3 eggs
• 1 lb of bean sprout bunch of Chinese chives (cut into an inch)
  
• 1/2 cup of roasted peanuts
• 10 oz of shrimps ( or chicken strips)

1. Heat 3 tablespoon of oil in a wok and saute garlic and shallots. Add the noodles and fry, turning constantly to prevent sticking. Remove noodles and set aside
2. Put another 3 tbsp pf oil into pan and when hot added pickled radish, beancurd and dried chillies. Stir fry for another 2 to 3 minutes and then return the noodles into the pan. Add sugar, shrimps, fish sauce and tamarind juice, mixed thoroughly and set aside on a plate
3. Put another 2 tbsp of oil into pan and when hot, break 3 eggs into the pan and scramble, spreading a think layer over the pan. When set, return the noodles and mix together. Add half the beansprout and Chinese flat chive. Mix together thoroughly then sprinkle with ground peanuts. Seasoned with sugar, fish sauce and tamarind juice
4. Serve garnished with the remaining beansprout and Chinese chives.

Helpful Hints: Fried noodles require a lot of oil; however, it is possible to use a minimum amount by adding small amounts from time to time to keep the noodles from drying out instead of oil all the oil at once

Laksa Lemak (Noodles in Spicy Coconut Gravy)

This is a favorite Singapore dish. Laksa is a meeting of Chinese and Malay styles of cooking, with a remarkably happy result: rice flour noodles bathed in a spicy coconut milk, with chucks of seafood and deep-fried beancurd. A very satisfying snack or luncheon dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoon of oil
• 2 cups of coconut milk
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 3 1/2 oz shrimps
• 3 1/2 oz squid (cleaned, skinned and sliced)
• 6 fresh scallop (optional)
• 6 cakes dried deep-fried beancurd
• salt and pepper to taste
• 10 oz vermicelli (soaked in hot water to soften)
• 1 cup of beansprout
• 1 egg (hard-boiled, peeled and sliced)
• 2 tablespoon fried shallots
• 2 sprigs laksa leaf, chopped roughly

Spice Paste

• 12 shallots
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 6 candle nuts
• 2 inch ginger root
• 4 red chillies
• 2 tablespoon of dried prawns, soaked to soften
• 2 tablespoons fish curry powder
• 1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste (belacan)
• 2 lemon grass, bruised

Prepare the spice paste first. Chopped the shallots, garlic, candle nuts, ginger root and chillies coarsely and blend or process with the dried shrimps and add a little oil until fine. Mix in the curry powder and dried shrimp paste, blend for a fe seconds longer, then set aside with lemon grass.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok or heavy pan. Add the spice paste and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until paste is fragrant. Add coconut milk and chicken stock and bring to boil, stirring. Put all seafood and the beancurd and simmer until cooked. Season to taste.

To serve, divide the noodles and beansprouts into 4 bowls. Top with the coconut milk gravy, eggs and sprinkle lasksa leaves and fried shallots.

Helpful hints
The coconut milk gravy can be prepared several hours in advance and reheated just before serving. Although lasksa leaves adds a distinctive touch, omit if not available as nothing else taste remotely like this pungent herb.