Author Notes
This recipe is a riff on homemade rice noodles that was such a production growing up. The anticipation was every bit a part of the overall enjoyment. Ground rice was blended with water and cooked into a tight dough. Shaped into balls, they were first steamed and then pressed through a specialty noodle maker to produce the softest and the most delicious fresh rice noodles. The dish was served either with a coconut chutney or a yogurt-based sauce with a few pappadums. Pure heaven!
Although not quite the same as the original, I came up with a happy compromise using store-bought white or brown rice noodles. A certain magic is created when slippery noodles are dunked in the tart sauce offering a bit of crunch, soft bite and a gush of creamy spice. Serve with a crisp salad of shredded red cabbage, carrots and scallions dressed in sesame seed oil and lime juice. —Kala Ganapathy
Ingredients
- For the noodles
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1 packet
rice noodles, cooked (I use Annie Chun's brown rice variety)
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1.5 teaspoons
black mustard seeds
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1/4 cup
dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
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1 sprig
fresh curry leaves
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1/4 cup
fresh cilantro leaves, sliced into ribbons
-
1 teaspoon
sunflower, rice bran or coconut oil
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1 tablespoon
toasted sesame oil or coconut oil for finishing
-
salt to taste
- To prepare the sauce
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2 cups
soy or other yogurt
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1/4 cup
unsweetened coconut
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1-2
green chilies, deseeded, if desired
-
1-2" pieces
fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
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2 tablespoons
lime juice (omit or adjust based on tartness of yogurt)
-
salt to taste
Directions
-
Heat the oil in a wide pan on medium heat.
Drop in the mustard seeds, cover with a lid and wait for the seeds to pop.
When the popping subsides, add all the remaining noodle ingredients and toss well.
Season to taste and keep warm.
-
Blend all the ingredients for the sauce in a high speed blender until creamy and combined. Adjust the seasonings.
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To serve. Place the noodles in a wide bowl and top with some of the sauce. Leftovers will last a couple of days in the fridge.
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