Pad Thai
ingredients:
Serves 4
6 tbsp palm sugar
8 tbsp water
1/2 cup tamarind paste
4 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp of siracha sauce if you like it spicy
5 tbsp oil
1/2 cup sliced shallots
6 tbsp chopped preserved daikon (skip if you don’t have it)
3/4 cups cubed tofu
1/2 lb. thinly sliced meat or 15 shrimps
4 eggs
4 tbsp dried shrimp (skip if you don’t have it)
16 oz noodles softened (not cooked)
3 cups bean sprouts
15 stems of chives (cut into 2" pieces)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts (roughly pounded or chopped)
Dried chili flakes, to taste
1 lime, sliced
Instructions:
In a saucepot combine palm sugar, 6 tbsp water, tamarind paste, and fish sauce (and siracha sauce if you want) on medium-high heat. Bring to A boil until palm sugar is melted, stir occasionally. Set aside.
In a large wok on medium heat add 3 tbsp of oil, sliced shallots, and daikon. Cook until the kitchen is fragrant (2-4 minutes). Add tofu AND stir very gently to incorporate cook for another 3 minutes.
Push tofu, shallots, and daikon to the side of the wok. In the space add 1.5 tbsp of oil and add protein (if using). Cook protein to 75% doneness (you can precook the protein ahead of time and add it now).
Push all the contents in the wok aside and in the space add the remaining oil and break in eggs. Break the yolk but do not scramble the eggs until the white edges start to brown. Once the edges are crisp, gently incorporate eggs with the rest of the ingredients. Add dried shrimp.
Add noodles and 2 tbsp of water, AND start to incorporate wok ingredients with noodles. Add sauce and continue to fold noodles, sauce, and ingredients into one another. (turn down the heat if needed)
Once noodles are cooked to the desired doneness, turn off the heat. Add bean sprouts and chives. (This can also be added as a topping while serving). Gently fold in. Serve with a sprinkle of peanuts, chili flakes, and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!
If you working with dried noodles: grab a large bowl, add in the dried noodles, and cover with as hot as your tap water can get. Let it soften for at least 30 mins. Then, you will have soften rice noodles. Whatever the packaging instRUCTIONS say, do not cook the noodles in boiling water, this will make them too soggy when stir-frying.
NOTE: ** cook sauce all at once, but cook the dish in 2 servings at a time, unless you have an extra large wok **
