Pad See Ew

Made with fresh rice noodles, this dish is sold in Thailand as grab-and-go street food. The sauce is spicy/sweet, thanks to sweet soy sauce, an Indonesian product.

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 large onion, halved and sliced into semicircles

1 red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1⁄2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons Asian red chili paste, preferably a Thai bottling such as Sriracha

1 pound fresh rice noodles, cut into 1-inch segments, or 12 ounces wide dried rice

noodles, soaked in very hot water for 10 minutes

1⁄3 cup packed basil leaves, shredded

• Heat a large nonstick wok or sauté pan over medium heat. Swirl in the peanut oil, then add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir-fry just until softened, about 1 minute.
• Add the chicken. Continue stir-frying until cooked through, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the sweet soy sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili paste. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
• Stir in the noodles and basil. Cook, tossing constantly, until heated through, about 30 seconds. Serve at once.

Makes 4 servings