Rat na is a Thai dish that combines fried rice noodles with various meats and vegetables, topped with a Thailand-inspired sauce. The dish is typically made with thinly sliced and marinated meats, along with broccoli and other greens. The noodles are fried and then combined with the stir-fried meat and vegetables, and the sauce is added to soften the noodles. Laos has a similar version of the dish called lard na, and when the sauce is left out, it is called pad si ew.
Nearly every culture has dishes that marry local meats, with noodles and veggies for quick yet fortifying one-bowl meals. In Southeast Asia, a familiar Thai recipe that follows this mold is called rat na, combining fried rice noodles with any number of proteins and a few choice vegetables. To top it off, a distinctive Thailand-inspired sauce softens the hardened noodles slightly and imparts hints of tapioca, soy, seafood and sugar to the meal.
Rat na can use a range of meats, but typically only one per dish and not a hodgepodge. Shrimp, crab, oyster, chicken, beef, and pork varieties are common. Except for shrimp, these meats are typically thinly sliced, pounded with a meat hammer, and then marinated for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight in the refrigerator. Marinades can vary, but common ingredients are oil, sweet soybeans, tapioca powder, thickened fish stock, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Wide rice noodles are often used in ratto na, although thin varieties would not be uncommon. They are soaked for half an hour in water and then boiled until softened. The noodles are then seasoned with a little soy and fried in oil until lightly crispy and brown. Chefs often avoid frying too many noodles at once in a pan, which reportedly promotes clumping. When all of the noodles are fried and patted dry on a paper towel, the hot, oiled pan is ready to receive the rest of the dish’s ingredients.
Greens are used sparingly in the dish, mostly to add colour. Broccoli is the most common choice, but beans, cabbage and onions could be added to the mix, which is sautéed in garlicky oil. When the vegetables are nearly gone, the marinated beef joins the group along with the marinade, a little more soy sauce, broth, fish and/or oysters, sugar, and more tapioca. Once all the ingredients are cooked through and tender, the noodles are placed on the plate, followed by the stir-fried meat and vegetables and the sauce. The noodles will slowly soften as the dish is eaten, just like cereal in milk does.
The neighboring country of Laos has a similar version of rat na, called lard na. This is also a plate of fried noodles with meat, vegetables and fish and soy-tinged chicken broth. When the sauce is left out, the resulting medley of meat and vegetables is often called pad si ew, which like rat na is a popular street food in both Laos and Thailand.
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