Pad Thai

This recipe has been simplified from the traditional:

• 6 oz (175g) rice stick noodles (or fettuccine if you are uncomfortable cooking with rice noodles)
• 1/3 c chili sauce
• ¼ c fish sauce (see picture below)
• ¼ c lime juice (I squeezed one lime) plus 1 lime, sliced for decoration
• 1 tsp Asian chili paste or hot pepper sauce
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (omit if you get the chili garlic paste)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 each green and red pepper, sliced
• 12 oz (375g) shrimp, peeled and deveined (and defrosted if you buy a bag)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 oz (125g) firm tofu, cubed
• 2 cups bean sprouts (we add extra when reheating left overs to add more moisture)
• 2 green onions, sliced (they cause us indigestion so I use less than normally required)
• ½ c fresh coriander, chopped
• ½ c peanuts, toasted and chopped

The method for preparation:

1. In large bowl, soak noodles in warm water until flexible but not soft (approx 15 min); drain and place in large dry bowl. Set aside
2. In small bowl, mix chili and fish sauce, lime juice, 1/2 c water and chili paste. Set aside
3. In wok, heat 1 Tbs oil over med-high heat; stir fry garlic, onion and peppers until softened (about 5 min). Add to noodles.
4. In walk, add 1 Tbs oil in wok; stir fry shrimp until pink (about 2 min). Add sauce and bring to boil, reduce to medium heat.
5. Stir in egg. Cook, stirring frequently until sauce thickens (about 1 min)
6. Add noodles and veggies back to the mixture along with tofu, sprouts, green onion and coriander. Toss well and stir fry until noodles are softened (about 3 min). Garnish with peanuts and lime wedges.

It takes a little while to prepare all the vegetables, so I use a su-chef (aka Steve). This dish can be made vegetarian by omitting the shrimp. You can also substitute cooked chicken breasts for the tofu, but we just add it in anyways.

Dana sent me a great link if you’d like to learn more about traditional pad thai and how to make it » It was just too much work for me and I don’t use the ingredients often enough to justify buying large containers from the store.

Brooke

My name is Brooke and I love to cook, hence the nickname. I am passionate about eating for pleasure and nutrition, making jam, and Pilates.