Noodles in a thick vegetable gravy

ราดหน้าraat naa

One of the first Thai meals I really enjoyed when I came to Thailand was this one - rat naa. It not only tasted good but the name was memorable too. I remember writing home and telling people that I had eaten a Thai dish made from rat (I was young back then). And not forgeting of course the other delicious meal made from cow pat (khao pat). Anyway, this meal is basically noodles served with a thick gravy containing kale (Chinese broccoli) and pork. However, I once had a version with seafood. The type of noodles is up to you. In the picture above you can see that I chose sen yai (the wide noodles). But, I sometimes have mee grob (deep fried noodles) with this dish to make a change. You can see that noodle in the picture below.

The recipe for rat naa varies a lot so some people, like myself, will cross town just to find the perfect version. Actually, I don't have to travel far as my local rat naa food shop is at the top of Tetsaban 4 Road where my school is located. It is easy to tell this is a popular shop as there is always a line of Thai people waiting to buy. There are two shops in my soi that cook rat naa. They are Ok but not perfect. So, I have to cross Sukhumwit Road to buy my noodles in gravy. A word of warning, if you go to my favourite shop then make sure you are very hungry. A normal serving costing only 25 baht will easily fill a big bowl. They give you a lot of gravy unlike other shops. For an extra 5 baht you can order special but don't do that unless you can eat for two people!

The recipe for rat naa that I want to share with you today is for food shops. The ingredients here are enough for 40 plates and apparently will only cost you 150-200 baht.

The main ingredients are:

• เส้นก๋วยเตี๋ยวเส้นใหญ่ - wide noodles ( 2 kilograms)
• เนื้อหมูสันในหั่นชิ้นพอคำ - sliced pork fillet (1.5 kilograms)
• ผักคะน้าหั่น - sliced kale (1 kilogram)
• กระเทียมสับละเอียด - chopped garlic (quarter of a cup)
• พริกไทยป่น - ground pepper (1 tablespoon)
• แป้งข้าวโพด - corn flour (6 tablespoons)
• เต้าเจี้ยวดำ - fermented soybeans (quarter of a cup)
• น้ำตาลทราย - sugar cane (quarter of a cup)
• ซีอิ๊วขาว - light soy sauce (three quarters of a cup)
• ซีอิ๊วดำ - dark soy sauce (quarter of a cup)
• น้ำปลา - fish sauce (three quarters of a cup)
• น้ำซุป - stock (half a cup)
• น้ำมัน - oil (one and a half cups)
• น้ำส้มพริกดอง - chili sauce in vinegar

Mix the pork with the light soy sauce, ground pepper and one tablespoon of sugar cane. Leave to marinate for one hour. Mix together the noodles and dark soy sauce. Add one tablespoon of oil to a wok. Once it is hot, add the noodles and fry until it is ready. Take out and place on a plate. Add the remainder of the oil to the wok. When it is hot, add the garlic and fry until it is fragant. Add the fermented soybeans and stir as you fry. Add the sliced pork and fry for a little longer. Then add the kale and stock. Season with sugar cane and fish sauce and give it a good stir. When it is boiling, add the corn flour which has been mixed with water. When it is ready, serve.