Year of the Noodle:  Week 43

If the name of the dish is Drunken Noodles, does that mean you are supposed to cook them while drunk?  Because I accidentally had a little buzz going when I made these.

John came home later than usual, and I had a glass of wine while I was waiting.  I didn’t eat anything.  That Cabernet went to my head.

Fortunately I had done all the prep work for this in advance, so all I had to do was stir fry it together.  Which was remarkably easy.  Even with a little bit of a wine buzz.

This dish is spicy, but good.  I’ve never had it at a Thai restaurant because it usually has chicken, but John orders it all the time.  Apparently my version had more veggies than usual and was spicier than usual.

I never think extra veggies is a bad thing, but the spice is rather potent.  I recommend serving it with fresh sliced fruit (a pear is perfect) to cleanse the palate and mitigate the spiciness.

If you also decide to make these noodles after a glass of wine, be sure you’ve chopped everything beforehand.  Wine and a large sharp knife do not mix well.

Ingredients

For the stir fry:
4 finely chopped thai red chillies (or 1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce if you can’t find chillies)
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
10 chopped thai basil leaves
2 slabs of tofu, pressed and patted dry
2 carrots sliced thinly
2 small tomatoes, chopped
8 small mushrooms thinly sliced
2 cups of broccoli florets
8 snow peas top and tailed
1/2 a packet of thick rice noodles
Vegetable oil
For the sauce:
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions

Soak the noodles in hot water according to package directions (mine took 60 minutes.) The noodles should be soft but not cooked in the centre. Leave to drain.

Mix the sauce ingredients together.

Fry the two slabs of tofu in a pan or wok in a little oil on a high heat until browned on both sides.  Add the soy sauce, leave for 10 seconds and remove the tofu from the pan. When the tofu has cooled slice it into squares.

Add the chillies and garlic to the hot wok with about a tablespoon of oil. After about 10 seconds add the noodles. Leave them to fry for a minute and the add the sauce and vegetables. Place a lid over the wok and cook for 2 minutes until vegetables are tender but still crisp.

Source:  Adapted slightly from Vegan For Everyone