Curried Pork Noodles

One of the main reasons I use Google Reader is because I get to consolidate a whole bunch of food blogs to read at my leisure. I happened across this recipe as I was browsing from one linked blog to another. You should check out this blog sometime; I like the blogger's writing style, and the recipes are tasty. I've adapted the recipe to what you see below. This serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 package of dried rice noodles (I used thin rice sticks, but you should try using pad thai noodles if you find them.)

Vegetable/olive oil

1 pound ground pork

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 small fresh green chilis, deseeded and minced

1 small onion, chopped in long slices

1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons curry powder

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

¾ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

¾ cup coarsely chopped basil (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cover the rice noodles in boiling water and soak until soft but not mushy for 7-10 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of the soaking water. Drain the noodles, flush with cold water, and transfer to a bowl.

2. In the meantime, cook the pork, garlic, and chili in 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet, breaking up any chunks, until just cooked through (a little pink is okay as it will cook through later). Remove with a slotted spoon to a small bowl.

3. Add the remaining oil in the skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the pepper strips. Cook for 1 minute, then add the onion. Continue cooking until the pepper is almost tender but with a little crunch and the onion is golden, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add the reserved pork along with the curry powder. Cook, stirring often, for 1 minute then stir in the reserve noodle-soaking water. Add the drained noodles along with the fish sauce and herbs. Toss well to combine and serve with more fish sauce, if desired.