Pad Thai - a bowl of rice noodles simmered in sweet spicy and tangy pad thai sauce with crushed peanuts sprinkle all over it and lots of fresh bean sprouts to make it a healthy and complete meal.
Ingredients
For Pad Thai sauce:
Palm sugar : ⅓ cup
Tamarind juice, extracted : ½ cup
Shallot (finely chopped) : 1
Sweet radish (chopped / optional) : ¼ cup
Fresh cloves of garlic, minced : 2 tbsp
Fish sauce / Nam Pla : ⅓ cup
Water : ¼ cup
Pad Thai ingredients
Rice noodles : 1 box
Scallions (chopped) : 4
Garlic minced : 2 tbsp
Egg (beaten) : 1
Peanuts (coarsely crushed) : ½ cup
Chilli flakes : 2-3 tbsp or as per your taste
Bean sprouts : 2 cups
Choice of cubed Tofu, or shrimps or squids or chicken : 1½ cup (sliced thinly for chicken)
Sesame oil : 4 tbsp divided
Lime wedges : 2
Cilantro to garnish
Instructions
Pad Thai sauce
Heat a pan and add palm sugar, extracted tamarind juice (if you are using tamarind pulp, use 2-3 tbsp), garlic cloves, shallots, sweet radish if using, fish sauce and water. Bring everything to a rolling boil and then lower the heat till the sugar dissolves and it thickens a bit.
At this point, you will want to check the sweetness and tanginess and accordingly add sugar or tamarind pulp. It should be a right balance of sweet and sour.
Keep separate.
How to make Pad Thai
Soak rice noodles as per package directions.
In a wok, heat 2 tbsp sesame oil.
Add the beaten egg and scramble softly, add the tofu or chicken or squids or shrimps now, if you are using.
Stir fry them until cooked through.
Add the remaining oil and add the drained out noodles.
Stir fry the noodles for 4-7 minutes until firm but tender.
Add scallions, peanuts and Pad Thai sauce.
Stir fry for couple of minutes or until combined.
Sprinkle chilli flakes all over it and mix well.
Spread the fresh bean sprouts and mix well.
Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.
Serve the hot Pad Thai as it is or enjoy with some soup or curry.
Recipe by saffronstreaks at https://saffronstreaks.com/recipes/pad-thai-thailand-in-a-bowl/