"I am not Asian, nor am I of Asian decent. This is just one Italian American's version of his favorite pan Asian dish - Satay noodles. If you are ever in Providence, RI there is this great place called Apsara that makes this recipe and it is the first thing I want whenever I go home to visit my parents.
I did the recipe in two parts because you can make the sauce ahead of time and just throw the rest together when it is time for dinner…. It comes together really fast…. Also this is very spicy, if you want it milder use less curry paste."
- Kristian
Satay Noodles
For the Sauce:
7-9 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tbsp. canola or peanut oil
2 heaping Tbsp. Red Curry Paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
1 heaping Tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. vinegar… I think you should probably use rice wine vin, I have been using Balsamic… totally not Asian
1-2 Tbsp. sugar
The other stuff:
1 package Rice noodles (the same you use for Pad Thai) soaked in hot water (follow instructions on the package)
1 bunch of some great Chinese Greens (Chinese Broccoli or baby bok choi, I use choi sum because it is my favorite) chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can baby corn drained and cut in half
5 green onions cut into matchsticks
A big handful of thai basil
Sesame oil
On medium heat in a wok or large pan, sauté garlic and curry paste in oil for about one minute. Then dump in everything else in no particular order and cook it down for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes a little bit syrupy…. Give it a taste and add more or less sugar and perhaps some salt and pepper… it will depend on your curry paste. At this point you can either turn off the heat and wait for you honey to come home, or just trudge on.
With the sauce bubbling away, throw in your greens (I usually throw in the stalks first) and give them a stir and pop the lid on to let them wilt for about 30 seconds. Then add your noodles, baby corn, green
onion, and Thai basil. Mix well, sprinkle with some drops of sesame oil, and serve with a wedge of lime.
Mmmmmmmm.
(Thanks, Kristian!)
Mmmmmmm! So goooooooooood! However, maybe some folks won't understand that a substitute for Thai basil could be.....cilantro?
I think Cilantro would be great too.... you could probably use Italian Basil..... If I had to pick something that reminded my of Thai Basil I would actually say lemmon Balm.
I don't mean this in a mean way, but you do know that even non-Asian "satay" type dishes usually mean spicey peanut sauce is involved somewhere? (Satay itself in it's original form usually means grilled skewers of marinated meat served with said peanut sauce amongst other things). I ask because if you're trying to replicate what you ate in a restaurant, you might have better luck using a canned satay sauce instead of a curry paste.
One last thing, if you're in an SE Asian grocery store (which I assume you will be if you're buying Thai basil), do yourself a favor and check out the Mae Ploy curry pastes. For already made pastes, I like them better then Thai Kitchen, and you may too.
happy cooking,
trillium
nope.
it's something different.
I don't even think it's thai.... and it has no peanuts in it.
I don't know why they call it Satay noodle. I've worked quite a bit in Asia and never had it there.
I know what Satay sauce is...
I will def. check out the Mae Ploy curry pastes.
Maybe I should make up a new name for this.
Like there are hundreds of recipes for gumbo in the delta, there are hundreds of varieties of recipes in any culture.
You go and call it satay if you want. I think its great to share variations and versions of dishes and recipes.
Your photo is great and makes me wanna go in my paradise kitchen and cook some up!
Aloha!
Cooking Cajun
I second the rec for Mae Ploy curry pastes. This is a great website for brand recommendations for coconut milk, curry paste, etc., as well as recipes:
www.thaifoodandtravel.com
I'm gonna pick some MAE PLOY up today and a huge bungle of greens from the Asian Grocery. I am SO EXCITED!
I have become addicted to asian greens. I am putting them in everything. They are great medicine for the winter blues.
This was very yummy, but also VERY SPICY. Nearly crossed the line, but the spice seemed to mellow especially with the leftovers. (Made enough for two big servings, and two generous leftover servings.) I added some tofu, but this would also be amazing with shrimp.
By the way, I *love* Apsara. Haven't been there in years. Thanks for stirring the memory!