Kaeng jued woon sen

Method

1. 1 Mix minced pork with white pepper, crushed coriander roots, and soy sauce, then roll into small balls.
2. 2 Kaeng jued means bland soup; this dish has no chili and is not sour, so the white pepper flavor must be prominent.
3. 3 Sauté minced garlic in oil, then remove and set aside to make fried garlic.
4. 4 Boil 800 ml of water, then add the meatballs and cook for 6 minutes, skimming off any foam.
5. 5 Soak the vermicelli for 10 minutes, then add it to the pot with the napa cabbage and mushrooms, and cook for 3 minutes.
6. 6 Season with soy sauce, then sprinkle with fried garlic, green onions, and cilantro.

With an appliance

• Microwave 28 min

  Replace steps 4–5: cook the meatballs in water at 900 W for 5 minutes, skim off the foam, then add the vermicelli, cabbage, and mushrooms and cook at 800 W for another 2 minutes and 30 seconds; this saves about 90 seconds, ensuring the meatballs cook evenly without the water boiling over, resulting in less falling apart and only requiring one skimming of the foam. The garlic sautéing step remains unchanged.