Gently pull apart your thin rice noodles. Prepare a large wok with oil for deep-frying and heat it over high heat until it reaches 450°F (232°C). Drop in a small batch of noodles. They should puff up within 2 seconds. Quickly flip them to ensure even frying. Once puffed, remove the noodles with a spider strainer and place them on a baking sheet or mixing bowl lined with parchment paper. Continue this process with the remaining noodles.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium heat. Sauté your chopped shallots until they turn golden and fragrant. If using egg, mix it into the golden shallots now.

Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in palm sugar, white sugar, tamarind paste, fresh lime juice, fish sauce, and chili sauce. Stir these well and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes until it thickens while stirring occasionally.

Add a touch of red food coloring to the sauce and reduce the heat to as low as possible.

With the heat at its lowest, add the fried noodles to the wok. Use two spatulas to break the noodles into the sauce, breaking up any large clumps. Coat the noodles evenly, working quickly to keep the heat low to avoid burning the sauce.

Once the noodles are thoroughly crushed and mixed with the sauce, remove the wok from the heat. While the mixture is still warm, you can shape the noodles or serve them like this. Finish by garnishing with fried kaffir lime leaves, cashews, and dried chilies. If you’re not serving the mee krob immediately, store it in an airtight container. Enjoy!