Pork Noodle Soup (Gway Tiao Moo Nam)

Thai Translation – Gway Tiao = Rice Noodles, Moo = Pork, Nam = Water

Noodle soups are a very common dish.They are usually sold by street vendors and typically consist of a  simple soup stock that is flavoured with a range of meats and seasoned to taste with fish sauce, ground and fresh chilli's and sometimes vinegar or sugar. This meal can be served in small portions as an entree to a Thai feast, or is just a quick and easy meal.

Cooking Time - 20 minutes

Preparation Time - 15 minutes

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

150g pork mince

½ medium onion

2 shallots

1 chicken stock cube

1 litre of water

¼ chinese cabbage

medium handful mung beans

4 tsp soy sauce

5 tsp fish sauce

2 cloves garlic

1/3 tsp white pepper

packet of rice noodles

coriander & fried garlic to garnish

Method

1. Slice your shallots and chop the garlic cloves in quarters. Slice the onion in large pieces. Chop the chinese cabbage roughly and wash well to remove any dirt. Rinse any dirt from the mung beans. 
2. In a medium saucepan over medium to high heat, cook the pork mince until browned well. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the shallots and add 2 tsp soy sauce and 2 tsp fish sauce. Remove from saucepan and set aside.
3. In the same saucepan add 1L water that has had the chicken stock cube dissolved in. Bring to the boil and add the chopped garlic and onion. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Season with remaining fish sauce and soy sauce.
4. Using a sieve or colander, strain the stock of the pieces of onion and garlic. Next, place the rice noodles into colander or sieve and carefully put it into the simmering stock for 30 seconds. This will cook the slightly. Place into the serving bowls.
5. Using the same sieve or colander, place the chinese cabbage and half the mung beans into the simmering stock for 20 seconds and serve into the bowls.
6. Place the cooked minced pork back into the stock and stir. Remove from heat and ladle soup stock and minced pork into the bowls with the rice noodles and cabbage.
7. Serve with a small handful of mung beans and coriander and fried garlic.