In honor of the Lunar New Year, starting February 10th and ending February 24th, I am making my version of my favorite Asian dish, Pad Thai. I love Thai food, and when it’s done right, it’s so complex and exciting while light and delicious. There is something about the combination of salty, sweet, and sour in the same bite that makes it so yummy. This recipe is very simple, you can buy the sauce at the store, but I encourage you to follow my recipe and make a big batch of the sauce, you can keep it in the fridge for 2-3 months in a tightly sealed container. I hope you try it and enjoy.
| PREP TIME | COOKING TIME | TOTAL TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 20 minutes | 20 minutes | 40 minutes |
YIELD: 3-4 servings
Ingredients
- 16oz rice noodles
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garlic — minced
- 16oz cleaned and deveined shrimp or you can use chicken thighs or tofu, cut into small pieces
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 6 green onions, chopped
- 1 cup peanuts, chopped
- Lime wedges to garnish
- Fresh cilantro, chopped, to garnish
For the sauce:
- 10oz palm sugar
- 1 cup fish sauce
- 1.5-2 cups tamarind paste
- Chili flakes to taste (optional)
How to Make It
- Cook the noodles according to the instructions, just until tender
- Heat a small saucepan to medium heat, add the palm sugar and let it cook until melted. After the sugar is melted, cook a little longer until it caramelizes to a slightly darker brown color. Be careful not to make it too dark.
- Turn off the heat, add the tamarind paste and stir continuously
- Turn the heat on again to low and add the fish sauce. Continue to stir until all the sugar has dissolved into the mixture. Turn the heat off.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium high heat, add the sliced shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Always stirring.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Remember to stir.
- Add the shrimp (or chicken/tofu) and cook until just through (Shrimp will only take 1-2 minutes, Chicken 3-4 minutes)
- Push everything to the side of the pan and add a little more oil, then add the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs, breaking them into small pieces with a spatula as they cook.
- Add the cooked noodles and the sauce to the pan, toss everything to combine
- Cook it for 2-3 minutes, test the consistency of the noodles and see if you need to add more of the sauce
- Remember, this is not an exact science. The noodles might be undercooked, so cook them a little longer. There might be too much sauce, so cook until sauce reduces. When tasting there might not be enough kick, so add chili flakes. Be unafraid to experiment.
- Garnish with chopped green onions, peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges
- Serve immediately and enjoy
