Fried Cellophane Noodles with Bean Curd

When I first saw this recipe, I though, "What's bean curd?!". Turns out, it is just a fancy way of saying tofu!

This dish is a pretty straight forward preparation of vermicelli noodles that tastes close to what you might get in a Vietnamese restaurant. I was worried when making the sauce that it was too fishy and too salty, but actually when we mixed everything together it was balanced well. It definitely needed a little spice, so make sure to top it off with siracha!

Fried Cellophane Noodles with Bean Curd

Courtesy of "The Food Lover's Guide to Noodles and Rice"

Ingredients
1 cup cellophane noodles
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
10 oz bean curd (tofu) diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
4 oz. frozen string or snap beans, halved
2 scallions, chopped
2 Tbsp roasted peanuts, minced
2 Tbsp dreid shrimps, chopped
3-5 small green chilies, chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp palm or brown sugar
6 Tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the Garnish
2 Tbsp crispy onion
cilantro
1 medium red chili, sliced
4 slices of lime

Directions
Soak the cellophane noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain. Heat half the oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the bean curd until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Add the remaining oil to the wok, then fry the garlic and shallots for about 30 seconds. Add the bean sprouts, string or snap beans and scallions and stir well. Add the cellophane noodles, bean curd, crushed peanuts, dried shrimps and green chili and stir. Season with the sugar, fish sauce and lemon juice, stirring again. Divide the noodles onto four plates. Sprinkle with the crispy onions, cilantro, red chili, and garnish with a slice of lime.