18 Nov

Sweet and Sour Noodles

Posted by: angelina  /  Category: Noodles

The Vietnamese have put their own particularly delicious stamp on Singapore noodles, which are popular throughout South East Asia. In Saigon, the noodles are standard street and cafe food, an ideal meal for anyone feeling a little peckish. At the Singapore noodle stalls, batches of cold, cooked noodles are kept ready to add to the delicious concoction cooking in the wok. At home, you can make this dish with any kind of noodles – egg or rice, fresh or dried.

There are endless variations of this classic dish – the only key is to keep the sauce dry, cut the meat and fish into small pieces and, most importantly, toss in the noodles at the last minute. The addition of fresh basil and nuoc cham lends a distinct Vietnamese flavor but you may also add strips of squid or slices of Chinese sausage to the mixture in the wok.

Ingredients

  • 30 ml Sesame oil
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
  • 4-Mar Green or red Thai chilies, seeded and finely chopped
  • 4 cm Fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 6 Spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
  • 1 Skinless chicken breast fillet, cut into bite-size strips
  • 90 g Pork, cut into bite-size strips
  • 90 g Shrimp, shelled
  • 2 Tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
  • 30 ml Tamarind paste
  • 15 ml Nuoc mam
  • 1 Lime, juiced
  • 10 ml Sugar
  • 150 ml Water or fish stock
  • 225 g Fresh rice sticks (vermicelli)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch each Fresh basil and mint, stalks removed, leaves shredded
  • Nuoc cham, to serve

Instructions

  1. Heat a wok or heavy pan and add the oil.
  2. Stir in the onion, garlic, chilies and ginger, and cook until they begin to color. Add the spring onions and cook for 1 minute, add the chicken and pork, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then stir in the shrimps.
  3. Add the tomatoes, followed by the tamarind paste, nuoc mam, lime juice and rind, and sugar.
  4. Pour in the water or fish stock, and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, toss the noodles in a pan of boiling water and cook for a few minutes until tender. Drain them and add the chicken and shrimp mixture.
  6. Season with salt and ground black pepper and serve immediately, with plenty of basil and mint scattered over the top, and drizzled with spoonfuls of nuoc cham.

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Do you have a better Sweet and Sour Noodles recipe?