Spicy Thai Noodles With Vegetables - cooking recipe

Ingredients

16 ounces rice noodles or 16 ounces rice vermicelli
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 cup slivered carrot
8 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only,sliced thin
10 Thai chiles, stemmed and split (optional)
cooking oil
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander)
For the Sauce
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 limes, juice of

Preparation

Cook noodles in boiling water until tender; drain.
Mix ingredients for sauce in a bowl with a whisk until smooth; set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat (add more oil as necessary during cooking).
Add lemongrass and Thai chiles and cook until fragrant.
Add carrot, scallions, and bell peppers and cook until carrot starts to become crisp-tender.
Add bean sprouts and cook 1-2 minutes more.
Add drained noodles to the pan and pour sauce over noodles.
Using two utensils, lift vegetables from bottom to integrate throughout noodles and mix well.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts and serve with hot chili sauce (sriracha), if desired.
Cooking tip: you may cut noodles into smaller pieces after cooking with kitchen shears to make them easier to work with.