Mee Krob - crispy stir fried noodles

mee krob is an easy dish that makes a pleasant snack, or a useful 
accompaniment to hotter foods. The tangy sweet & sour sauce is optional 
though certianly normal, and hardened vegetarians could easily leave out 
the pork and shrimp. 

In Thailand this is almost always prepared in a wok. If you feel nervous 
about deep frying in a wok, feel free to use a saucepan or electric deep 
frier 

ingredients 

6 ounces of sen mee (rice vermicelli noodles) 
2 eggs, beaten 
3 tablespoons of kratiem dong (pickled garlic), thinly sliced 
3 tablespoons of shallots (purple onions), sliced thinly 
4 ounces of belly pork, cut into small dice 
4 ounces of medium shrimp, shelled and deveined 

sauce 

1 tomato 
2 tablespoons tamarind juice 
2 tablespoons lime juice 
2 tablespoons palm sugar 
1 tablespoon citrus zest (preferably kaffir lime) 
1 tablespoon fish sauce 

garnish 

thinly sliced green onions, and red and green chilis julienned. 
half a cup of hard tofu, cubed. 

Method 

Heat about 3 cups of peanut oil until very hot (preferably smoking), 
then whilst it is heating, crush the noodles in a large plastic bag. 

Drop the noodles, a small quantity at a time, into the hot oil. They 
immediately puff up and turn golden brown. Remove at once with a slotted 
spoon, or the type of wire strainer available from Chinese hardware 
stores. 

When all the noodles have been cooked and set aside to drain on kitchen 
paper, drizzle the egg into the oil to form a ribbon of cooked egg, then 
take it from the oil and chop it up. 

Finally deep fry the pieces of tofu until golden brown and set aside. 

Now pour off and reserve all but a little of the oil, and stir fry the 
garlic pickle and shallots. Next stir fry the pork until the fat is firm 
and the meat cooked to your taste. Stir fry the shrimp briefly until 
they turn pink. 

Mix the cooked ingredients, except the tofu, and transfer to a serving 
platter. 

Combine the ingredients of the sauce, and place it in a small bowl so 
the diners may ladle it over the food as required (if you do it too 
early the noodles will go soggy). 

Garnish the mee krob with the green onions, chilis and cooked tofu.