Pad Kee Mao

This is a great weeknight dinner--easy to prep, a short cooking time, and with a stir fried vegetable dish, it is a delicious meal.

• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 6 cloves garlic
• 5 bird’s eye chilies
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup sliced onion
• 2/3 pound ground pork
• 2/3 cup sliced bell peppers
• 12 ounces fresh rice noodles
• 2 handfuls of basil leaves           

1. Whisk together the fish sauce, soy sauce and vinegar, and set aside. Roughly chop the garlic and 3 of the chilies together. Smash the other two chilies with the flat of a knife, and set aside.
2. Put a wok (or a large frying pan) over medium-high heat; when it’s hot, add the oil, the garlic-and-chile mixture and the onion. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pork and a splash of the sauce. Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the peppers and noodles. Turn the heat to high, and add almost all of the sauce (save a spoonful or two to add later if needed). Cook, tossing everything together and separating the noodles if necessary, until the noodles are coated in sauce and take on a slightly charred flavor from the wok. Taste, and add more sauce if needed. Toss in the basil and the smashed chiles, and serve immediately.