While bean starch noodles may appear in cold dishes such as salads, they are also served hot and highly seasoned. This is one of the quickest ways to get a tasty meal on the table, relying on the jar of Red Curry Paste or Charmaine Solomon’s Thai Red Curry Paste I always have in the refrigerator.
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Serves 4
- 200 g (7 oz) bean starch noodles
- 100 g (3½ oz) cooked meat, e.g. barbecued pork, chicken or Chinese sausage (lap cheong)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2-3 tablespoons Red Curry Paste (see page 173) or Charmaine Solomon’s Thai Red Curry Paste
- 100 g (3½ oz) small cooked prawns, peeled
- 6 spring onions, sliced
- 50 g (1½ oz) roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
- salt or fish sauce
- a few sprigs of fresh coriander, chopped
- lime or lemon wedges for serving
Soak the noodles in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes. Drain. Depending on the thickness of the noodles, cook them in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes if using the fine bean threads, or 8 minutes for the 3 mm (J in) wide noodles. Drain well. Slice the meat you are using. If using Chinese sausage, steam over boiling water for 5Ð8 minutes until swollen and soft. Slice diagonally.
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Heat the oil in a wok. On medium heat fry the curry paste, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the noodles and toss until the curry paste is evenly distributed over the noodles. Toss in the cooked meat and prawns, spring onions and half the peanuts. Stir-fry until the noodles are well mixed. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a little salt or fish sauce if required. Serve sprinkled with the remaining peanuts and the coriander. Lime or lemon wedges may be offered for squeezing over individual servings.
Note: I advise buying bean starch noodles in plastic net bags containing 8 small bundles of 50 g (1½ oz) each. If purchased in 500 g (1 lb) hanks, they are fiddly to separate and have to be cut with scissors.