Thai noodles on Bun Bo Nam Bo

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• ½ small head of red cabbage
• 100 g glass noodles
• 2 tbsp peanut oil, or other high-heat oil
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 100 g carrot(s), cut into strips
• 2 tsp curry powder, or curry paste
• 2 clove(s) garlic, squeezed
• 4 tsp cane sugar
• e.g. Thai chili pepper(s), cut into fine pieces
• 200 g rump steak(s) of beef, cut into strips
• 140 g soy sprouts or mung bean sprouts
• 4 tsp soy sauce, light
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 6 tbsp sweet chili sauce
• ½ head of iceberg lettuce, cut into strips
• 60 g peanuts, roasted, chopped
• 2 sprigs of Thai basil, cut into strips
• n. E. Coriander greens, chopped, optional
• 2 limes, halved

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Bring about 1.5 liters of water to a boil in a kettle. While the water is heating, chop the red cabbage into pieces and place it in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over it and use a hand blender to chop everything up. Pour the mixture through a sieve and collect the liquid in a saucepan. Discard the red cabbage puree in the sieve. Keep the red cabbage stock simmering gently on the stovetop. Add a little salt, just like pasta water. Heat the oil in a wok. Briefly sauté the shallots, carrots, curry, garlic, and sugar. Add the meat and fry in the center of the wok. Briefly fry the bean sprouts. Deglaze with soy sauce and fish sauce and continue frying until everything is just slightly moist and shiny. Add the sweet chili sauce and season with pepper. Keep warm on the stovetop. Tip: If you like it spicy, you can also use Thai chili peppers or hot curry paste instead of the curry powder. Now let the glass noodles soak in the hot red cabbage broth for about 5 minutes according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Drain the noodles once they are cooked to your desired degree. Arrange a bed of salad in serving bowls. Arrange the meat on top. Place the colored glass noodles on top and garnish with Thai basil and chopped peanuts. If you like, you can also top with chopped coriander. Now distribute the bowls to the guests and squeeze the lime over the noodles before serving. Tip: You can of course use the noodles with any other recipe. The important thing is that some form of acid such as citric acid or vinegar is present to cause the color change. Note: Red cabbage juice is a natural pH indicator that, depending on the environment, takes on a color that ranges from blue/purple in alkaline environments to a strong red/pink in acidic environments. We use this property for this dish to color glass noodles, which are drizzled with lime juice shortly before serving, changing color within 1-2 minutes. A wow effect is guaranteed!