Pad Tua Ngorg - Fried Bean Sprouts

WARNING!!!

Somehow I am in a bad mood today!

At times things can really make you freak out. Don’t know!?!

What now? Slamming doors? Breaking plates and glasses? Kicking at things? Knocking the head against the wall again and again? Or worse … ?

NO! I don’t think so! It’s not worth it and for sure I would be going to regret it (replacing all the broken things and not even thinking about the headache from meeting the wall …)!

Let’s rather go to the kitchen and cook something nice!

Already before (that is before the bad mood hit me) I had decided to go for Thai food (I still had some leftover bean sprouts). That’s why I’m having Pad Tua Ngorg today.

What you don’t understand? OK, fine: fried bean sprouts (you could have guessed that as well).

“When you eat bamboo shoots, think of the man, who planted them.” This is what a Chinese proverb says. Oh, well, Chinese? We are going to cook Thai. Anyway, bamboo shoots aren’t featured here either.

Fine! Something else: “It is against God’s will to eat a delicious meal quickly.” That’s what Chang Ch’ao said. Hm, sorry, he is, eh, was Chinese also! However, that would at least be fitting.

Wait, wait, one more! “Never eat yellow snow!” Sorry again! That’s what an Innuit mother would say to her children.

Never mind! Forget all the things I mentioned so far!

Rather we are going to steam some rice, 250 g to be exactly. First wash it and then bring it with 600 ml of water to boil. Only make sure the pot is large enough … which I didn’t do (adding only sligthly to the irritation …). I try to behave – no worries! Boil it for three minutes, turn down the heat to lowest possible, cover, leave for 20 minutes, remove from heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes – voilà!

By the way, steamed rice you would call Kaau Sue.

Here now the details for the fried bean sprouts (OK, I didn’t have that many bean sprouts available).

Ingredients:

300 g bean sprouts (which I obviously didn’t use – no worries)

100 g lean pork

100 g peeled prawns

Oil for frying

4 cloves of garlic – chopped

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Half a teaspoon (no, don’t break the spoon – forget it) of sugar

pepper

Preparation:

Wash your bean sprouts (no matter how many you are using). Did I mention, they are high in protein as well. Just a side sort – don’t get distracted.

Cut your (lean) pork into stripes. If you like, you can make an effort to cut it really thin.

Heat up the oil and fry the garlic a while – that is until golden (or so). Add the pork – all the time stirring (I like stirring things up sometimes! :-) Oh, was that a smile? I guess mood is already improving! Good!). When the meat is cooked through, add the prawns – stirring – a few seconds – stirring – season with sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and pepper, pepper, pepper, pepper … OK, enough! Throw in some chillies cut in rings, if you like.

Now the main characters (if you have enough) come: the bean sprouts. Keep stirring for another 3 minutes.

Should it be the case that you see any chance of doing something in between before the rice is finished, you can whip up a Yam Tdääng Gwaa (cucumber salad) – only if you see a chance, of course.

Plate it all up!

Or some more?

Or with some soy sauce?

Did you like it? Anyone for seconds? Yep, I go for it!

That’s it. There is still some rice left. I’m nice (contrary to how it may have appeared at the outset) and share a bit of it with Lucy, who takes it happily.

Still there is rice left!

Here comes an attempt to build a rice tower …

… sadly it didn’t last long enough to be captured on photo.

Nevertheless, the mood has improved greatly! Just to make sure that things are fine, I add some chocolate …