Instructions: Combine the Maggi sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce, and add the pepper and MSG, and marinade the meat for about one hour, before draining, reserving the marinade.

While the noodles are soaking to soften them, prepare the broccoli by cutting up three quarters of a cup of florets, and peeling then slicing the stems, and chopping the leaves to form three quarters of a cup of thinly sliced stems and leaves.

In a large skillet or wok, over medium heat, saute the garlic in a little oil, and then stir-fry the noodles until they begin to turn brown. Stir continuously to avoid the noodles sticking together. Remove them, and turn the heat to high, and briefly stir-fry the pork to seal it.

In a large saucepan, heat the water or stock, stir in and boil briefly the marinade. Add the tapioca starch to thicken, then add the meat and other ingredients except the noodles. Stir occasionally until the meat and vegetables are nearly cooked to your taste. Add the noodles and continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes to complete the dish.

Serve in individual bowls.

Recommendation: Add 1 tablespoon Thai chili powder, and a tablespoon of pickled chili sauce (prik dong - see below), and a little more sugar. Then taste, and if necesary add fish sauce, sweet soy, and additional fresh chilis and pickled chilis. You might also add a little pickled ginger and pickled garlic (kratiem dong -see below).

The obvious cautions apply to following this last stage blindly: at this point the clear sauce has turned fiery red and the heat of the chilis is accentuated by the vinegar. The general method however is appropriate, but you might care to procede more cautiously.

Prik dong: Put two thirds of a cup of finely sliced Thai chile peppers in a 1 pint jar, and fill with white rice vinegar.

Kratiem dong: Peel and slice two thirds of a cup of garlic, place it in the 1 pint jar, add 1 teaspoon of palm sugar, and one teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of MSG (optional but recomended) and topped up with white rice vinegar.

Comments: The lime leaves and basil leaves are optional. The MSG is of course optional as well. Kuaitiao dishes are common hawker food in Thailand and are usually prepared fairly blandly. The bowl of noodles is then seasoned to taste from the seasonings on the table.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.