1 bag of narrow rice noodles
1 tablespoon palm or brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon tamarind water, optional (if you can only find tamarind paste, combine about a tablespoon with 1/4 cup water to make the liquid)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 egg
2 ounces bean curd, deep-fried and cut into quarter-inch cubes
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, rinsed and dried
pinch cayenne powder
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 small bunch green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts
1 lime wedge
Soak noodles in water for 2 hours, until soft. Drain. Combine palm or brown sugar and white sugar with fish sauce and tamarind water. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until dissolved. Set sauce aside.
Heat oil in a wok over a medium heat and fry shallots until fragrant and beginning to color. Crack in egg, turn down the heat and stir. Mix in bean curd, dried shrimp, then add noodles. Turn up the heat and stir-fry for about a minute, allowing the noodles to color a little. Add the prepared sauce and cayenne, then simmer for another 30 seconds to a minute, adding a little more oil if necessary. Add three-quarters of the bean sprouts and three-quarters of the green onions, and cook for another 30 seconds, until wilted. Check seasoning: The noodles should taste sweet, sour and salty. Pile on a plate and top with the reserved bean sprouts, green onions, crushed peanuts and a lime wedge. Serves 4.
