Mee krob (sweet and sour crispy rice noodles) packed into snack squares

Separate the rice vermicelli into small bundles, since they puff up a lot; cut long strands shorter.

Weigh the ingredients; the ratio of noodles to sauce is what matters.

Heat the oil to at least 430F, 430 to 450F; below that the noodles brown without puffing and come out hard.

Fry the noodles a small bundle at a time with the room ventilated, keeping the oil around 450F; at 475F the oil starts to smoke.

In a large non-reactive wok, cook the shallots in oil over relatively low heat until soft and caramelized but not burnt.

Add the egg.

Add the palm sugar, tamarind, fish sauce, Thai sriracha, salt, lime juice and lime zest.

Cook the sauce down, stirring constantly so it does not burn, until it reads 240F (soft-ball stage); break up any large chunks of egg.

Turn off the heat and add all the fried noodles, crushing them down.

Turn the heat back on very low and toss with two spatulas until evenly coated, breaking up clumps of sauce.

Pack the noodles halfway up a tray, layer in the cashews and pumpkin seeds, add the rest of the noodles and more nuts on top, and press in while still warm.

Let set to room temperature, loosen from the sides, turn out and cut into cubes with a sharp knife.

Let sit at least half a day or overnight before eating so the flavour evens out.