Recipe: Pad Thai noodle

The key to good Pad Thai Noodles is cooking the noodles just enough to make them chewy

Method

•  Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of water for about 10 minutes prior to cooking.

•  In a large wok, heat the oil, add the chopped garlic and sauté for a few seconds until the garlic is cooked.

•  Add the noodles and peanuts and cook on high flame for about two to three minutes, stirring continuously.

•  Pour in the soya sauce and lemon juice along with cottage cheese, chilli powder, spring onions and salt and mix the ingredients together. Cook the noodles on high flame for another two to three minutes, stirring throughout.

•  Garnish the noodles with crushed peanuts and green spring onions. Serve warm.

Note: For best results, prepare the Pad Thai noodles as close to serving time as possible.

The secrets to a good Pad Thai

Recreating this popular Thai delicacy at home can be a daunting task. Even the most experienced of chefs often fail to get it down to a tee, messing up some part of the recipe or another. Although the recipe in itself is quite simple, there are some aspects to perfect Pad Thai Noodles that not many people know. Read up on these useful tips and be on your way to Thai culinary success!

The pan: Who knew the dish you choose to cook in had such an impact on the taste of whatever you are cooking? For Pad Thai, it is best to use a large and flat pan as a greater surface area allows for better evaporation during the cooking process. This is essential for well-seasoned rice noodles which are cooked through and yet, chewy. You may also use a wok as its steep sides make it easy to push the noodles off the heat and onto the sides while you are cooking the other ingredients.

The noodles: Considering Pad Thai is a noodle dish, getting the noodles just right is crucial. To prevent the noodles from clumping together, it is better to pre-soak them in cold water until they are soft enough to wind around your fingers. Once the noodles are in the wok, be sure to check them repeatedly so that they do not end up under or over cooked. You may even add some cold water into the pan while cooking if the noodles don’t feel soft enough.

The protein options: Of course, you can customise your Pad Thai with any kind of meat you like but prawns and chicken seem to be the most preferred. Whichever meat you choose, sauté it in some garlic or sweet chilli sauce before cooking for added taste. You can also add scrambled eggs to the noodle mix for more variety.

The extras: Once your Pad Thai is ready to be served, you can garnish it with crushed garlic, chives and spring onions for taste and decoration.

Thai Green Apple Salad



Winter has finally arrived and so have all the scrumptious fruits we wait for all year long! Local fruit retailers are bustling with pomegranates, berries and guavas, etc. This winter, boost your health by trying out this recipe for Thai-inspired apple salad. Not only does an apple a day keeps the doctor away, there is also a large variety of the fruit being sold in the markets these days. Pair your salad with meat or even Pad Thai for an exquisite, homemade Thai feast!

Ingredients

For the salad:

•  Vegetable oil 1 tbsp

•  Shallots (green onions — finely sliced) 2

•  Green apples (cut into thin strips) 5

•  Lime juice 1 tbsp

•  Cherry tomatoes (diced) 6

•  Roasted peanuts (dry and crushed) 2 tbsp

•  A handful of coriander leaves (crushed)

For the dressing:

•  Garlic clove (finely chopped) 1

•  Red chilli (seeded and chopped) 1

•  Sugar 1 tsp

•  Fish sauce 1 tbsp

•  Lime juice from 2 limes

Method

•  Prepare the salad dressing by mixing the garlic, chilli and sugar together in a food processor, until they form a rough paste. Add the fish sauce and lime juice to the mix, according to taste.

•  Fry the shallots for about five minutes, until they become crisp and brown. Once fried, retrieve them using a slotted spoon and drain them.

•  Toss the apple in lime juice and mix. Then add the tomatoes and dressing.

•  Using a normal-sized spoon, place some salad onto plates for individual serving and top it up with peanuts, coriander and the fried shallots. Your Green Apple Salad is now ready!

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, November 30^th, 2014.