serves
6
prep
25 minutes
cook
25 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
25
minutes
cooking
25
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 4 large dried chillies
- 1 large red shallot, sliced
- 150 g dried rice vermicelli
- 2 cups (500 ml) water
- eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1½ tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp soft palm sugar
- 2 tbsp tamarind puree
- 80 g firm bean curd (tofu), diced
- 2½ spring onions, cut into 5 cm lengths
- 1–2 tsp chilli powder, to taste
- 1 tsp white sugar
- ⅓ cup (45 g) roasted unsalted peanuts, finely ground
- 100 g bean sprouts
- 6 sprigs coriander, cut into 5 cm lengths
- 1 large fresh red chilli, julienned (optional)
Instructions
Soak the dried chillies in a small bowl of warm water for 3–4 minutes, then drain. Place the soaked chillies and shallot in a mortar and use the pestle to pound to a coarse paste. Place the vermicelli in a bowl and cover with cold water, then leave for 10 minutes to soften. Drain and set aside.
Place the water in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Add the drained vermicelli and stir briefly until the water returns to the boil, then drain the vermicelli and set aside.
Heat a dry non-stick frying pan over medium heat, then add the egg and cook until it is just cooked; it should be an omelette. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool slightly, then cut into 5 mm-thick strips.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the chilli and shallot paste and stir for 1–2 minutes. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind puree and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the drained vermicelli and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, then add the bean curd, spring onion and cooked egg and stir well. Sprinkle in the chilli powder and sugar and stir to combine. Add half of the ground peanuts and remove the wok from the heat.
Add half each of the bean sprouts and coriander and toss gently. Garnish the vermicelli with the remaining bean sprouts, coriander and ground peanuts. Top with the julienned chilli, if you like, and serve.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
