Would You Like Some Pad Thai?

08 March 2008 10 comments

Pad Thai I have yet to meet a noodle that I did not like. :) I like to cook all kinds of Pancit, different variations of Italian pasta and this Thai dish called Pad Thai.

As with most other cuisine, the noodles came with the Chinese in Thailand. So basically, this is not the so-called 'authentic' Thai food. But hey,who cares? LOL This is one dish where you can taste almost all combination of flavors: sweet - from the sugar, salty - from the fish sauce, sour- from the Tamarind pulp and spicy -from the chili powder.

There are different variations on this recipe, some call for Tomato ketchup, uhuh, you read that right. Well, it's not as bad as you might think but for Pad Thai 'purists', this is a big no-no. The following recipe is what I use when I make Pad Thai. I omit the dried shrimps since I don't like the taste and the sweetened salted radish.

Pad Thai

Recipe by Kasma Loha-unchit

2lb. dried thin gkuay dtiow or rice noodles (also known as Ban Pho to the Vietnamese)
3 Tbs. fish sauce, to taste
3 or more Tbs. tamarind juice the thickness of fruit concentrate, to taste
2 Tbs. palm or coconut sugar, to taste
4 Tbs. peanut oil
1/3 lb. fresh shrimp, shelled, deveined and butterflied
3/4 cup firm pressed tofu, cut into thin strips about an inch long, half an inch wide and a quarter inch thick
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 shallots, thinly sliced (or substitute with half a medium onion)
1/4 cup small dried shrimp
1/4 cup chopped sweetened salted radish
2-3 tsp. ground dried red chillies, to desired hotness
3 eggs
3 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup garlic chives, cut into 1 1/2-inch-long segments (optional)


Pad Thai Garnish
2/3 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
1 lime, cut into small wedges
A few short cilantro sprigs
4 green onions - trim off root tip and half of green leaves and place in a glass with white end in cold water to crisp (optional)


Soak the dried rice noodles in cool or lukewarm tap water for 40 minutes to one hour, or until the noodles are limp but still firm to the touch.

While the noodles are soaking, mix the fish sauce with the tamarind juice and palm sugar; stir well to melt the sugar. Taste and adjust flavors to the desired combination of salty, sour and sweet. Prepare the remaining ingredients as instructed.
When the noodles have softened, drain and set aside.


Heat a wok over high heat until it is smoking hot. (Note: If your wok is small, do the stir-frying in two batches. The recipe may also be halved to serve two.)
Add 2 teaspoons of oil and quickly stir-fry the shrimp until they turn pink and are almost cooked through.
Salt lightly with a sprinkling of fish sauce and remove them from the wok.
Swirl in the remaining oil, save for 1 teaspoon, to coat the wok surface and wait 20 to 30 seconds for it to heat.
Add the tofu, frying 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pieces turn golden.
Add garlic and stir-fry with the tofu for 15 to 20 seconds.
Follow with the sliced shallots and cook another 15 seconds.
Then add the dried shrimp, sweetened salted radish and ground dried chillies.
Stir and heat through a few seconds.
Add the noodles and toss well with the ingredients in the wok.

Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes and when most of the noodles has changed texture and softened, push the mass up along one side of the wok.
Add the teaspoon of oil to the cleared area, crack the eggs onto it and scramble lightly.
When the eggs have set, cut into small chunks with the spatula and toss them in with the noodles.
Add the sweet-and-sour seasoning mixture.

Stir well to evenly coat noodles.
If the noodles are still too firm to your liking, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of water over them to help cook.
Taste and adjust flavors as needed to your liking by adding more fish sauce or tamarind juice; if the noodles are not sweet enough, sprinkle in a small amount of granulated sugar.
When the noodles are cooked to your liking, toss in 2 of the 3 cups of bean sprouts and the garlic chives (if using).

Sprinkle with half the chopped peanuts and return the shrimp to the wok.
Stir and when the vegetables are partially wilted, transfer to a serving platter, or dish onto individual serving-size plates, and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts and chopped peanuts, the lime wedges, cilantro and green onions.

Serves 4 as a one-dish lunch. Squeeze lime juice over each portion before eating.


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10 comments: to “ Would You Like Some Pad Thai? so far...

  • Butchay March 08, 2008
     

    this looks yummy, thanks for sharing the recipe, will surely try this. :)

  • Anonymous March 08, 2008
     

    looks wonderful:)

  • Ladynred March 08, 2008
     

    Looks yummy Barb! love noodles and shrimp. Thanks for sharing.
    How would you like to join my recipe meme every Sunday over at my Food blog!

  • Pinay March 09, 2008
     

    yeah thanks for sharing the recipe Barb,looking at the photo makes me to cook it right now :)I haven't tasted Pad thai but I already heard that recipe.Might to try it sometime.

  • Vk-mahalkaayo March 10, 2008
     

    parang masarap ito....

    gusto rin ang thai foods, kasi maanghang at masarap.....

    kahit na yon sabi nila na ?Pok-Pok?
    raw vege, tapos ipokpok lang,
    1st nakita ko yon thai naggawa nito, then i was invited, sabi ko makain ba yan, pati yon beans, hindi loto...
    sinubukan ko nga, ay masarap talaga, kahit na maanghang talaga....

    subukan ko nga ito,.....parang maraming ingrs. meron kaya ito dito sa amin asia store?

    thanks for sharing barb....

  • Mira March 10, 2008
     

    Barb, this is also one of my favorites. When I order this in a resto, I mix it with rice, lol, so loaded with carbo. I will just try your, ang haba ng procedure, lol.

  • shiera (bisdakbabbles) March 11, 2008
     

    looks so delicious!

  • Ligaya March 11, 2008
     

    wow, mukhang ang sarap. love noodles myself but haven't tried pad thai. thanks for sharing your recipe ate barbs. will copy it and maybe try to cook it one of these days. =)

  • Anonymous March 12, 2008
     

    I love pad thai, but I've never made it myself before. Will definitely give this one a try.

  • Fe March 13, 2008
     

    Dude.. I made this one yesterday.. hmmm.. thick noodles and easy to prepare..

    How often you eat Thai food.. me, very often as twice a week..