There are several great things about this dish. It’s easy and quick to make; You can use whichever veggies you have in your kitchen. And, perhaps most importantly, everyone in my family loves this meal, which makes me happy.
It’s a Helen Chen recipe from her book Easy Asian Noodles.
- 1/2 lb wide, flat rice noddles, large 1/4-inch width
- 4 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp chili-garlic sauce, to taste
- 3 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry
- 8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 3 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 Tbsp finely minced garlic
- 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 3 ounces snow peas, ends snapped, strung, and large ones cut on the diagonal
- 1 cup Thai basil or sweet basil whole leaves, packed
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles for about 2 minutes or until al dente. Don’t overcook because the noodles will have to be cooked again. Stir occasionally for even cooking. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside to drain again.
In a small bowl, mix together the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic-chili sauce, and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
In another mixing bowl whisk the cornstarch and wine together. Add the chicken and mix well.
Pour the oil into a wok or stir-fry pan and place of medium-high heat/ Add the garlic and stir until the oil is hot and the garlic sizzles. Add the onion and the well-stirred chicken mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the chicken is partially cooked and the onion turns translucent, about 2 minutes. Toss in the carrots and stir another minute. Add the snow peas and basil and stir again until the basil leaves wilt, about 30 seconds.
Sprinkle the noodles with a little tap water to loosen them, drain, then add to the pan pouring the fish sauce mixture over them. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or until all the ingredients are well blended and the noodles are heated through. Transfer to a large serving platter and serve immediately.
Serves 3-4
