Beef Wok-Tossed with Glass Noodles and Curry Powder

Name: Beef Wok-Tossed with Glass Noodles and Curry Powder (Bò Xào Lăn)
Yield: Serves 4-6 as part of a Shared Meal
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 1 bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced; light soy sauce, for dipping; 350 g (12 oz) beef eye fillet, trimmed and thinly sliced; 1 lemongrass stem, white part only, finely chopped; 1 onion, cut in half (then ½ diced, ½ cut into wedges); 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 bunch sawtooth herb, leaves roughly sliced; 1 bunch rice paddy herb, leaves roughly sliced; 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed; 3 tablespoons coconut milk; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; ½ teaspoon hot Thai red curry powder; 3 dried wood ear mushrooms; 50 g (1¾ oz) dried bean thread (glass) vermicelli noodles; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; ½ teaspoon chilli flakes

Bò Xào Lăn

Preparation info

Serves
4-6
as part of a Shared Meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Songs of Sapa

By Luke Nguyen

Published 2009

About

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THIS DISH. MY FATHER WOULD COOK THIS EVERY TIME HE HAD HIS MATES OVER — IT WAS THE PERFECT DRINKING FOOD. YOU CAN USE EITHER THAI OR MALAY CURRY POWDER IN THIS RECIPE, AS LONG AS THE COLOUR IS RED AND THE FLAVOUR IS HOT. THE BEEF CAN BE SUBSTITUTED WITH EEL OR MAKE IT SIMPLY WITH VEGETABLES ALONE.

Ingredients

50 g (1¾ oz) dried bean thread (glass) vermicelli noodles
3 dried wood ear mushrooms

Asia
Vietnam
Mekong
Main course
Dinner
Southeast Asia
Spicy

Method

Put the bean thread vermicelli in a bowl, cover with water and soak for 20 minutes, then drain. Use kitchen scissors to cut the vermicelli into 10 cm (4 inch) lengths. Put the mushrooms in a bowl, cover wi