Coconut milk and sesame oil make a light, but flavorful, Thai sauce.

“I don’t like Thai food.”

“Then why did you come to Thailand?”

“Oh, I like irony.”

Thus went my first conversation after leaving India for Bangkok. It was my first trip to Thailand, and while I was looking forward to a break from northern India, I was not excited about leaving Indian food behind. My experience with Thai food had been confined to cheesy restaurants with “Siam” or “King” in the name, that rubbed my taste buds raw (not unlike Yul Brenner’s polished head).

Golden sunsets and fresh seafood.

I went to Koh Chang, the “elephant island,” and checked into my small room. After marveling at the beauty of the beach, I sat down to eat. It was one of the few times I’ve found my expectations completely blown.

The dish was served cold, offsetting the balmy evening air. Simple bowls of crunchy bean sprouts, limes, tiny bright chilis, and roasted peanuts accompanied my plate. I plopped down in the sand, propped my elbows on my low table, and dug in.

The noodles were chewy and simple. Whatever vegetables and seafood topped the dish were brought into the market that afternoon. The sauce was, at once, creamy and nutty, and cool yet spicy. It was memorable and completely changed my mind about Thailand’s food offerings.

Now I say I don’t like Americanized Thai food.

This dish is based off the memory of that meal.  I’ve made some substitutions based off of my local ingredients, but it is an extremely customizable recipe. Serve this meal as a fast and healthy way to use up any leftover vegetables and proteins (fish, tofu, meat) that you may have in the fridge.

Blanching improves the color, texture, and flavor of raw vegetables.

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Coconut-Sesame Thai Noodles

Serves 4 as an entree, 6 as a side

Ingredients

1 quart water

1 tablespoon table salt

1 cup assorted vegetables, cut into strips

8 ounces firmly cooked noodles — soba (buckwheat) noodles work well, as does fettucini. Tofu shirataki noodles will also work if you want to cut calories.

4 ounces cooked protein, cut into strips — good pairing include shrimp, chicken breast, or grilled tofu

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon chopped cilantro

1/2 teaspoon chopped basil

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1.) First, blanche the vegetables. Blanching involves briefly dunking fruits or vegetables in boiling water to set color, flavor, and texture. Do this by boiling 1 quart of water and 1 teaspoon table salt together in a large saucepan. Set aside a medium bowl filled with ice water.  Drop the vegetables in the boiling water and let cook for 1-2 minutes, removing them once they have brightened in color, but still remain crisp. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and place immediately into the ice water to stop cooking. Blanch one type of vegetable at a time, beginning with the vegetables that are the lightest in color and moving on to the darker ones.

2.) Add the vegetables and the protein to the noodles and toss well.

3.) In a measuring cup, make the sauce.  Make sure to shake your coconut milk well, to integrate the coconut milk and the coconut cream. Combine the coconut milk, the sesame oil, the basil, the cilantro, and the red pepper flakes. Stir well.

4.) Add the sauce to the noodles and mix well. Top to taste with sesame seeds. If you wish, provide toppings to customize your bowls, like more basil and cilantro, fresh limes, chopped peanuts, or minced hot peppers.