Spicy Thai Noodles
Noodles gained traction in Thai cuisine during World War II. The Thai diet was mostly centered around rice until the people started facing shortages, and then they adapted the Chinese tradition of noodle dishes to meet their own needs, and soon begain to embrace dishes like Pad Thai. The Spicy Thai Noodle dish here has a few shared elements with Pad Thai; it’s full of complex and vibrant flavors, it has a decent amount of nutty fullness, and it’s also vegetarian as Pad Thai traditionally is.
Our recipe calls for any long, skinny noodle, so don't overthink it. We used a basic whole wheat spaghetti noodle, which has a little bit more “toothiness” to it than noodles made with bleached white flour. You can moderate the heat level by leaving the chile in through the entire cooking of the dish for the full heat effect, though you should remove it before serving. You can take it from the oil after a few minutes for less heat, or you can leave it out entirely if you just want something that's sweet and lush, without the peppery blast.
- 8 ounces of pasta, such as whole wheat spaghetti or linguine or Thai rice noodles, cooked and drained well
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 Thai Bird Chile
- 1 medium sized carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced fine
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Spicy Thai Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Black Sesame Seeds
- 1 teaspoon White Sesame Seeds
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- Lime slices (optional)
- In a wok or skillet, heat vegetable and sesame oils over medium-high. Add whole Thai Bird Chile while the oil is heating.
- Add carrot and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and scallions and cook for one more minute.
- Add honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, Spicy Thai Seasoning, and sesame seeds and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes, mixing continuously. Remove Thai Bird Chile.
- Turn off the heat and add noodles. Mix well.
- Plate noodles and garnish with cilantro and lime slices.
