Recipe: Pad Thai — Rice Noodles with Shrimps and Peanuts

Pad Thai is the first dish I learnt in my cooking class in Thailand. Though readily available in streets stalls all over Bangkok, Khao San Road is the most famous place to have Pad Thai. The use of rice noodles, fish sauce, tofu and bean sprouts give this dish its distinct taste. You will either love it or hate it  — but must certainly try it!

Ingredients

Olive oil 3 tbsp

Tofu-in 1 by 1 cubes 300g

Red onion 1 medium

White vinegar 2 tbsp

Fish sauce 2 tbsp

Shrimps 10-12 or Chicken, thinly sliced 300g

Sugar 1 tbsp

Eggs 2

Bean sprouts 1 cup

Spring onions 3

Dried prawns (optional) 1-2 tsp

Rice noodles 300g

Limes 1-2

Water 1-2 cup

Peanuts 2 tbsp

Red chillies 1 tbsp

Method

•  Add oil to a large wok on medium heat.

•  Once the oil is medium hot, add tofu and red onions. Cook till onions turn transparent and tofu is light golden.

•  Add shrimps and stir-fry till white with orange tinge. Never overcook shrimps as they shrink and get chewy. If you are using chicken, make thin horizontal slices and fry till golden. Cutting chicken in this way reduces cooking time.

•  Now add rice noodles in the wok. Also add fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and dried prawns.

•  Pour in the water and cover the wok. Stir occasionally till noodles are cooked. Add more water if needed.

•  Beat the eggs and cook them as you would scrambled eggs. Add to noodles. Traditionally, the beaten eggs are cooked on one side of the wok, with the noodles.

•  Add spring onions and bean sprouts and stir for about 2-3 minutes.

•  Taste the noodles; if you think it doesn’t have enough salt, add 1-2 tbsp fish sauce extra.

•  Your Phad Thai is ready. Serve immediately, as the rice noodles get sticky and can break if reheated

•  Garnish with peanuts, lime and grounded red chilies.

Madiha Hamid is a digital media professional. She loves the food traditions unique to families. She is running a food blog for Pakistani and regional cuisines called cheflingtales.com

Follow her on twitter @cheflingtales.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, December 23^rd, 2012.

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