Thai Style Wide Noodles in thick sauce-Lad Na

Lad Na is served all over Thailand, so it can be considered a national Thai dish, see a sidewalk version here that's over 40 years old. It's typically served not spicy, with Thai condiments on the side to "fix the taste" and make it more spicy if that's desired. This is one of the most juicy, delicious recipes we feature. Lad Na is also spelled radna or ladna. In Thailand the broccoli floret as well as the stems are used, and if you'd rather use asparagus than broccoli that's fine too.

Ingredients

10 oz wide rice noodles
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon black soy sauce
1/2 lb chicken, cut into thin slices
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 tablespoon Maggi Seasoning
1 1/2 cups broccoli
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon yellow bean sauce
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (or a bit less if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon Thai pepper powder

Method.

Soak the noodles in warm water for 30 minutes then rinse in cold water. Add noodles to a pot of boiling water and boil for 1 minute, then rinse in cold water again, and set aside.

Toss chicken with 1 tablespoon tapioca flour & the Maggi Seasoning. Marinate for 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, separate the noodles and toss thoroughly with 1 tablespoon oil and the black soy sauce. Fry this in a nonstick pan (noodles will stick to a wok so you should use a nonstick pan if possible) until golden brown. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Saute garlic in oil over medium heat until golden color, then add yellow bean sauce, stir well until fragrant. Add the chicken and saute until cooked. Add 2 1/2 cups chicken stock. When stock starts to boil, add broccoli and season with fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Stir well and let cook a bit longer. Mix remaining tapioca flour separately with the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock, then stir in with the chicken & broccoli until it thickens. Remove from heat.

Arrange the fried noodles on a serving plate, spoon the gravy over the noodles. Sprinkle with Thai pepper powder, and serve with prik dong in a separate small bowl (cut the chiles a bit before placing in the bowl). Enjoy!