Pad Mee Korat

Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 3-4 minutes or until just cooked but still a little firm in the centre. Drain and set aside for later.

To make the stir-fry sauce, heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the palm sugar and the white sugar and allow the sugars to dissolve and turn a light caramel colour. Add the garlic and the shallots and cook stirring for a few seconds or until the sugar has darkened. Stir through the soybean paste. Then stir through the fish sauce and the tamarind. Simmer for about a minute. Then stir through 2 tablespoons of water and the chilli powder. Remove from heat and set aside for later.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the pork mince and stir-fry until just cooked. Then add the noodles and the stir-fry sauce. And toss and cook until well combined and the sauce has thickened and almost all evaporated. Then push everything to one side. Add the extra teaspoon of oil into the empty side of the pan and then pour in the eggs. Spread the eggs out to allow an omelette to form. When the egg is just about set, break it up and toss it through the noodles. Add the bean shoots and the spring onions and toss until well combined. Serve with an extra stem of spring onion and a lime wedge.

– Thai soybean paste of yellow bean paste is also called ‘tao jiew’ or เต้าเจี้ยว. It’s available from Asian or Thai supermarkets.