Recipe: Pad Thai — Rice Noodles with Shrimps and Peanuts
You will either love it or hate it — but must certainly try it!
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
Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, December 23rd, 2012.
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
Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, December 23rd, 2012.