Rice Noodles

Other than pasta, casseroles, soups, and rice, Asian-style noodles seem the easiest to throw together on weekdays when I don't have fermented adai or dosai or injera batter handy.

Not much to this recipe really. Feels like sharing a recipe for cooking rice :) Anyway, I like both the wide flat rice noodles a well as the thin string-like ones. The noodles can be stir-fried or just tossed in with the sautéed vegetables here.

Ingredients
1 pkt rice noodles (flat and broad, sort of like fettucini)

½ pkt extra firm tofu (or, pan-fried marinated tofu, if handy)
1 cup sugar snaps, sliced thin
2 cups bok choy leaves, cleaned, chiffonade (or roughly chopped)
1 medium onion, sliced fine
1 bell pepper, sliced
-OR- any other vegetable combination
water as needed
1 Tbsp canola oil (2-3 Tbsp, if pan frying the tofu)


For the flavoring:
2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp thai chili-basil paste
1 Tbsp sambal oelek (or, 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes)
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh lemon grass (or, 1 tsp lemongrass powder)
1 tsp grated ginger (or, ½ tsp ginger powder)
1 tsp brown sugar

½ cup chopped spring onions for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Combine the flavoring ingredients, stir well and set aside
2. If using tofu, pan-fry it with some of the above flavoring sauce, remove from pan set aside
   
3. cook rice noodles per package directions, drain, rinse in cold water, drain well and set aside
4. Heat oil in a pan, sauté the onions, sugar snaps and bok choy till onions turn translucent
5. Add the cooked noodles, pan-fried tofu, and the remaining flavoring sauce a little at a time so as not to make the dish soggy, stir till well incorporated
6. Garnish with spring onions, serve warm