Pad thai (thai noodles)
1 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| ½ | pounds | Dried rice noodles; 1/8 inch wide |
| Warm water | ||
| ½ | pounds | Shrimp; chicken, pork, or a combination |
| ¼ | cup | Fish sauce |
| ¼ | cup | Granulated sugar |
| 2 | tablespoons | Sugar |
| ¼ | cup | White vinegar |
| 2 | tablespoons | White vinegar |
| 1 | teaspoon | Paprika -or- |
| 1 | tablespoon | Tomato paste |
| 4 | Green onions | |
| Vegetable oil for frying; at least 1/2 cup | ||
| 2 | Cloves garlic; finely chopped | |
| 2 | Eggs | |
| ¾ | pounds | Mung bean sprouts |
| 2 | tablespoons | Ground roasted chilies |
| ¾ | cup | Ground roasted unsalted peanuts |
| Lime wedges | ||
Directions
1 Soak the noodles for 20-25 minutes in enough warm water to cover, until flexible but not so soft as to be easily mashed with the fingers. (They will soften more when cooked later.) Drain in a colandar.
2. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails intact, or slice the chicken or pork across the grain into strips ⅛ inch thick and 1-2 inches long.
3. Mix the fish sauce, sugar, vinegar (and optional paprika/tomato paste/ catsup) in a bowl, stir until the sugar is dissolved, and set aside.
4. Slice the green onions (green and white parts) diagonally into pieces 1½ inch long and ¼ inch thick.
5. Heat a wok, add ½ cup of oil, add the garlic and stir-fry until golden. Add the meat and stir-fry until cooked (for chicken or pork, until the pink color disappears; for shrimp, until it turns pink). Add the noodles and toss lightly to coat them with oil and to mix well.
6. Add the fish sauce mixture and bring to a boil rapidly, gently folding the noodles without breaking them. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to boil, folding frequently, until the noodles have absorbed the liquid.
7. Lift the noodles gently from one side of the wok. Pour in a little oil, break 1 egg, and slip it in the oil. Break the yolk, and cover the egg with the noodles immediately. Repeat this on the opposite side of the wok with the remaining egg. Allow the eggs to cook undisturbed, over moderate heat, until they are set and almost dry. Additional oil may be added if the eggs or the noodles begin to stick to the wok. (See Tips below.) When the eggs are set and almost dry, fold them gently but rapidly into the noodles. Try not to break the noodles, which will be soft and fragile at this point.
Add the bean sprouts and sliced green onions and toss the entire mixture quickly and gently, without breaking the noodles. Cook about 2 minutes, or until the sprouts and green onions are tender but still crisp.
Place on a warm platter. Sprinkle ground chilies and peanuts over the top and squeeze lime juice over that, or serve garnishes separately.
Notes: Traditionally the noodles are left as full-length strands, but may be cut into shorter lengths for easier stir-frying.
Recipe by: Thai Home-Cooking From Kamolmal's Kitchen, by William Crawf Posted to recipelu-digest Volume 01 Number 416 by RecipeLu <recipelu@...> on Dec 30, 1997