crispy fried noodles

SYRUP SEASONINGS TO FINISH Heat the oil to very hot. Drop a handful of uncooked noodles into the hot oil. They will immediately puff up to several times their size. Turn them over & quickly fry the other side. The entire process only takes a few seconds. Do not let the noodles brown. Drain on paper towels. Make the SYRUP by combining the water & tamarind water with sugar in a small pot. Cook over medium heat until it thickens. Prepare the SEASONINGS by heating 1 tb vegetable oil in a wok or skillet. Add the onion & garlic & stir-fry until lightly browned. Add the tomato paste & soy sauce & stir-fry a further 3 minutes. Clean the bean sprouts & remove the roots if you want. Place the noodles in a large bowl & pour the SYRUP & SEASONINGS mixture over them at once & mix thoroughly with your hands. Add the bean sprouts, cilantro & green onions & mix again, being careful not to break the noodles into too small pieces. Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes if desired & serve with the lemon wedges. Adapted from Puangkram C. Schmitz & Michael C. Worman, "Practical Thai Cooking" Submitted By MARK SATTERLY On 10-18-94