A dish that combines the style of Chinese soup noodles with the flavors of Indian curries. This version, made entirely with fresh ingredients, is probably superior to any you’ve had at a restaurant.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　3 garlic cloves, peeled

　　3 shallots, peeled

　　One 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

　　2 fresh chiles, preferably Thai, stemmed and seeded, or hot red pepper flakes, to taste

　　1 tablespoon Tamarind Paste (page 585), optional

　　2 teaspoons ground turmeric

　　2 teaspoons ground coriander

　　2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed and smashed (page 143)

　　1 quart beef, chicken, or vegetable stock, preferably homemade (page 160 or 162), or water

　　Salt to taste

　　1 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles

　　1 1/2 cups bean sprouts, trimmed

　　1 cup coconut milk, homemade (page 584) or canned

　　4 hard-cooked eggs (page 338), sliced

　　1/2 pound tofu, pressed (page 491) and sliced

　　1 cucumber, peeled, cut in half, seeds removed (page 169), and sliced

　　

Step 1

Put the first 7 ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until pasty. Put the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the lemongrass and stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the noodles and bean sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the noodles are tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer the noodles and bean sprouts to large serving bowls.

　　

Step 3

Add the coconut milk to the curry soup and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and divide the soup among the bowls of noodles. Top the noodles with the eggs, tofu, and cucumber and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.