Pad Thai

Pad Thai is one of Thailand's most popular and well known dishes. It's made by pan frying thin flat rice noodles with a unique sweet and sour sauce flavored with tamarind, lime, sugar, and other seasonings. Authentic Pad Thai can have a wide-ranging combination of other ingredients, but often includes fresh and dried shrimp, chicken, pork, tofu, pickled radish, egg, bean sprouts, green onion, garlic chives and peanuts. Pad Thai is usually made to order, so you can tell the cook how you like yours.

It's quite easy to prepare, but getting all the ingredients together can take a little time. In Thailand most people don't bother making Pad Thai at home as it is so easy to find from local street vendors. If you live somewhere else, or just want to enjoy these delicious Thailand style noodles at home, this recipe and easy to follow directions can help.

Yield: 1 or 2 serving

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ready in: About 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Pad Thai Sauce Recipe

4 Tablespoons Coconut Sugar, Palm Sugar
2 Tablespoons Tamarind Paste
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Distilled White Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Thai Fish Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sriracha Hot Sauce

For the Pad Thai Noodle Recipe

3 - 4 Cups Prepared Rice Noodles
6 - 8 small Fresh Shrimp
1/2 Cup Chicken meat
1/2 Cup Firm Tofu
1 - 2 Tablespoons Dried Shrimp
1 - 2 Tablespoons Sweet Pickled Radish
1 Chicken Egg
4 large cloves Garlic
1 - 2 Cups Bean Sprouts
4 - 6 Green Onions
1/2 Cup Dry Toasted Peanuts
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Basic Directions:

1) Fry the garlic lightly in a big wok. Add chicken, fresh shrimp, dried shrimp, tofu cubes, and sweet pickled radish. Fry until nearly done.

2) Make an open space on the side and fry a whole egg. Crack the yolk, then fry until nearly cooked without stirring.

3) Add the prepared rice noodles and Pad Thai sauce. Stir fry, flipping from the bottom, until well blended and all liquid is absorbed.

4) Add the bean sprout and green onion on top, then fold the noodles over, making a pocket to steam the sprouts and onion inside the noodles. Turn of the heat, add chopped peanuts and serve with fresh bean sprout, green onion, lime wedges, crushed dried red chili, and sugar.