Pad Thai
It has been exactly 2 weeks since I moved. The packing and unpacking tasks are finally over! Probably still need final touch here and there. It’s a relief to have got everything done and try to settle in the new place!
Oh yeah, my broadband is up and running, (yey!!) else this post would not have been published! Well, I have been cooking. Even though I was kind of tired a few days after the move, but, I was quite motivated to cook some simple dishes (for dinner and lunch next day!)
One day, I was craving for a quick Asian stir-fry. And it has to be some kind of noodles. Not only that!! I don’t know the real reason for me to crave for spicy food these days. I probably have missed having spicy food for a long time! Then, it came to my mind that I have long missed this popular Thai dish – Pad Thai.
Pad Thai or Phad Thai (Thai fried noodles) needs no introduction! It’s one of the Thailand’s national dishes that everyone knows and loves! Pad Thai is a stir-fry dish of flat rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilli, shrimps/chicken, tofu, bean sprouts and eggs. The main feature of Pad Thai? Well, it’s usually served with lime and crushed toasted peanuts. In most occasions, coriander is used as a garnish.
Pad Thai is a Thai street food that you can find at any corners from the street vendors. I personally think that Pad Thai is equivalent to the Char Kway Teow (fried flat noodles). Char Kway Teow is also one of the national dishes in Malaysia and Singapore. Moreover, Char Kway Teow is also a street food! There are only slight differences in ingredients and seasonings between Char Kway Teow and Pad Thai. Otherwise, both could look pretty similar.
As much as I love Char Kway Teow, Pad Thai is great too! It’s light and dry, very easy to tempt anyone who hasn’t tried or even those who have tried! I like my Pad Thai to be spicy. I think that brings the whole characteristic of Thai food – sweet, sour and spicy!! What a good combination that never fails to satisfy my hunger!
Pad Thai
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
30 minutes
Yield:
4 servings
Ingredients:
For the Pad Thai:
250g wide rice stick
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
500g prawns, shelled and deveined
2 eggs, beaten
60g firm tofu, cut into thin strips
1 tbsp thai chilli paste
200g bean sprouts
50g toasted peanuts, chunkily ground
2 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengthwise
lime wedges and coriander leaves to garnish
Method:
1. Soak noodles in a large bowl filled with warm water for about 10-15 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. In a bowl, mix lime juice, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Put the oil to a wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and not brown. Add the prawns and cook until they turn pink.
3. Add the beaten eggs and scramble until almost cooked. Then, add the tofu. Stir in the softened noodles. Pout over the sauce mixture, toss to combine. Then, add the chili paste, stir and mix well.
4. Add the bean sprouts and spring onion, toss well and cook for 1 minute. Divide equal portion onto warm plates. Sprinkle with toasted crushed peanuts and coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges.
