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Thai Radna is a Thai stir-fried flat rice noodles with gravy that is not as widely known like Pad Thai but seriously need more acknowledgement ! SUPER DELISH!
Have you ever turned on the radio in the car and just keep changing through channels because…well, because I couldn’t find one freaking song that I like. I’m usually stuck on the classical channel (like 98% of the time). You can’t go wrong with classical I guess! and I love classical! Until of course my kids started to complain that there’s no one singing and only music (duh? isn’t that the point ?).
They always “make” me play the song list from my phone. I have all my favorite songs I like saved on my You Tube list ! I thought that was the greatest thing though. Despite being my favorites (to the point of obsessive, like seriously obsessive!), let’s face it that I can grow tired of that list too! But, the great thing..yes, I can change the song or just create a different list and have different songs in there! It seems like the best solution for us (me and the kids) at the moment! Who would have thought even kids can be picky with their songs !
Speaking of obsession, let me share with you one of my food obsessions. This kwe tiau rad na. Have you heard of it by any chance ? You might heard of pad see ew, or pad thai, but rad na is a lesser known Thai stir-fried noodles. Radna is a stir-fried noodle dish made of fresh wide rice noodles, dark green vegetables, and a little thinly sliced meat, all bathed in a flavorful gravy and slightly sour vinegar chili sauce. Ohh…gosh..that gravy and the chili sauce are my favorites in this dish.
Recipe is adapted from Jeffry Alford and Naomi Duguid’s Sweet, Sour, Salty cookbook. I love this cookbook guys! Love the stories behind their traveling to Southeast Asia too.
Thai Rad Na (Thai Stir-fried Flat Rice Noodles with Gravy)
Ingredients
- 450 g flat rice noodles or 250 g (8 oz) dried flat rice noodles
- ¼ cup oil divided
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 300 g pork shoulder , thinly sliced across the grain into 1-by 1/2-inch pieces (or substitute lean beef or boneless chicken, sliced similarly)
- 1 tsp sugar divided
- 225 g Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch wide spears and well washed
Seasonings:
- 2 Tbsp fermented soybean paste (dao jiao/dao jio), mashed until smooth
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 ½ Tbsp fish sauce
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp tapioca starch , dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
- Generous grinding of white or black pepper
Prik Nam Som: (3/4 cup)
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup hot boiling water
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup Thai Bird's eye chilies Thinly sliced
Instructions
Prepare the noodles:
- If using fresh hor fun noodles, you can use it straight away without any preparation. If using hor fun that has been refrigerated, I usually steam them for about 5 minutes or until they are soft and let them cool down and separate the strands of noodles
- If using dried hor fun, boil them in water until they are soft (following instruction on the package) and then drain off water and immediately toss with oil to prevent them from sticking. Spread them on a baking pan to let it cool down for at least 10-15 minutes before using
Cooking:
- Combined fermented bean paste, soy sauce, fish sauce in a bowl and set aside
- Place all the other ingredients by your counter top near the stove. Have a platter and 3 or 4 dinner plates (one per person) nearby
- Heat a large work over high heat. Pour in 1 1/2 Tbsp of the oil and swirl to coat the wok. When very hot, toss in approximately half the noodles and let them cook for about 2 minutes, pressing them against the hot pan, then turn out onto the platter and repeat with the remaining noodles, using only 1 Tbsp oil. Divide the noodles among the four dinner plates
- Wipe out the wok, then place back over high heat. Add the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp oil and, when it is hot, toss in the garlic. Stir-fry briefly until starting to turn golden, about 20 seconds, then add the pork slices and a generous pinch of the sugar. Stir-fry for about 1 minutes, or until all the meat has changed color. Remove from the wok and distribute among the dinner plates where the noodles are
- To the same wok, add the sliced greens and stir-fry, pressing the vegetables against the hot sides of the wok, until they turn bright green, about 1 1/2 minutes or more (depending on the size of your wok). Remove from the wok and divide among the dinner plates
- Add the seasoning you prepared earlier then add the broth. Give the cornstarch slurry a stir and add into the wok or skillet. Stir until the gravy is thickened
- Use your spatula or a ladle to spoon the gravy over the noodles. Grind pepper over generously and serve hot with prik nam som
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
This is such an awesome one-dish meal. I can see why this is their favorite dish. I encourage you to give it a try.
I just have to dedicate a shot of me drizzling that chili sauce on!
Check out other Southeast Asian Recipes you might be interested in.
2 comments
I totally love sites like this one; found it only a month ago. Thai and Indonesian are my two favorite sources for exciting noodle dishes. Thank you so much. A quick question.
I am desperately seeking something I used years ago, (not made any more from Hi Fong.) Does anyone make, and is there a source online for, Sa Te oil. It was a very aromatic oil, and could be poured over meats, pasta, vegetables, everything. Thanks.
Hi Ron, Glad you found this blog. I’ve seen this Vietnamese Sa Te chili oil/sauce a lot in Asian grocery store, though I haven’t made it before. Perhaps you are looking for something like this https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2007/07/lemongrass-chil.html ?