Phad thai

Ingredients

4 cups
Thin rice noodles, soaked for 3 minutes
50 g
Pork, diced
3
Eggs
100 g
Firm tofu
250 g
Bean sprouts
50 g
Chinese chives cut into short lengths
1 tbsp
Chopped shallot (small red onion)
1 tbsp
Chopped garlic
1 tsp
Dried chilli powder
1/2 cup
Ground roasted peanuts
4 tbsp
Sugar
3 tbsp
Fish sauce
4 tbsp
Tamarind juice or vinegar
1/4 cup
Water
8 tbsp
Cooking oil
Fresh vegetables to serve: bean sprouts, Chinese chives, banana buds, lime wedges

Preparation
In a wok, fry the shallots and garlic in 3 tbsp of oil over medium heat until fragrant. Add noodles and water, stir until tender. Season with sugar, fish sauce and tamarind juice/vinegar. Stir well, then push the noodles to the side of the wok.
Add 3 tbsp of oil to the same wok, add the pork, tofu and chilli powder. Sauté until the pork is done the toss well with the fried noodles and push the mixture back to the side of the wok again.
Put 2 tbsp oil into the wok, break the eggs in and stir until done. Toss again with the noodles, add the bean sprouts and Chinese chives. Stir until the bean sprouts are cooked - about 1 minute.
Transfer to individual plates and sprinkle with roasted peanuts. Serve with fresh vegetables on the side and a squeeze of lime juice.

Cook's Notes
A lot of oil is specified but it may not be necessary to use all the oil in the recipe. Add a little at a time, when the noodles appear to be drying up. **Make this recipe vegetarian by replacing the pork with shrimps, peeled and deveined, or by increasing the amount of tofu and beansprouts.