Start cooking!!! Pad Thai



Pad Thai



        Why I picked Pad Thai 1^st?  The answer is Pad Thai is the most famous of all Thai foods because it has Thai in the name, so it’s easy to figure it out.  It’s Thai food for sure!  Pad Thai was born after world war 2 when the Thai Prime minister at that time named it because he wanted Thai people to be proud of their selves and bring Thailand to be known internationally.   Also, my American friend always is begging me to teach her how to cook it, so it’s time to put it together.  I have to be honest with you, I have never cooked Pad Thai in Thailand (ha ha).  In Thailand we havePadthai food venders everywhere and Pad Thai is one of the most popular Thai foods that all of the venders sell.  Plus Pad Thai needs a lot of ingredients to prepare it.  That’s why I never make it myself in my home country, because it is easier to buy rather than make it.  Pad Thai in Thailand usually uses tofu or shrimp.  We don’t have Pad Thai with chicken or beef like in America.  Anyway after my friend continued begging me to make Pad Thai, I decided to call my mom and ask her for the recipe and it came out like this.

Note: If you cannot find some ingredients around your local grocery store.  Don’t worry, I have a substitute option for you.

Pad Thai Shrimp

½ pound of shrimp (peeled, de-veined)

7 oz dry thin rice noodle ( about 1/2 package)

Thin rice noodle

½  cup pad Thai sauce or more up to you taste bud!!(recipe follow)

½  cup super firm tofu (small cut)
4 tbsp  vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/4 cup a garlic chive cut into 1 inch (or green onion)

Bean Sprouts

2 eggs
1 cup bean sprouts
1 tbsp. sliced Shallot

1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. roasted peanut (crushed)

Dried Shrimp

Sweet&salted Radish

3 tbsp. dried shrimp (if you cannot find it don’t worry about that)
2 tbsp. minced Thai sweet & salted  radish (if you cannot find it don’t worry about that)

2 slice lime

1 tsp. dry chili (optional)

Pad Thai Sauce or Tamarind sauce

1/2 cup of tamarind juice

Note : Tamarind juice comes from adding hot water on tamarind fruit and let it sit for 5-10 min. and squid the seed and fiber out.  In the USA I found some tamarind juice concentrated.  If you cannot find it use vinegar, but I highly recommend you use tamarind juice.

Tamarind juice

 ¾  cup of palm sugar (or brown sugar)

¼ cup of fish sauce (or soy sauce, but I highly recommend fish sauce)

2 shallots minced (about 3 tbsp)

1 tsp. chili (optional)

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions:

1.       Heat up the small sauce pan and add vegetable oil.  When it’s hot add shallot stirred until golden. (don’t burn)

2.       Add Tamarind juice, brown or palm sugar, fish sauce and chili (optional)

3.       Boil until it gets thick (about 10 minute)

4.       Remove from stove

Note: If you don’t use it all keep it in refrigerator up to 3 months.  Also I use it for another recipe like crunchy noodle and Chicken tamarind sauce.

Cooking Instructions:

1.       Soak dry noodle with hot water about 5 minute, drain it set aside.

2.       In the pan heat 2 tbsp. of oil until hot add shrimp stir until cook set aside.

3.       In the same pan add the rest of oil add shallot, garlic cook until golden add tofu, radish and dried shrimp (If you can find them)

4.       Add egg, scramble egg, when it has cooked add Pad Thai sauce and 2 tbsp. water

5.       Add soaked noodle, stir it until noodle has absorbed sauce.  If noodle is too dry add remaining water.

6.       Add cooked Shrimp, stir it till mixed well

7.       At the end add ½ cup of bean sprout and garlic chive (or green onion).  Turn off the heat

8.       Serve with fresh bean sprout, crushed peanut, a slice lime, dried chili (optional)

How do you eat it? (Don’t think this is a silly question, some folks ask me this question for real!!) For me, I squeeze lime over noodle mix fresh bean sprout, crushed peanut and dried chili together. Now dig in!!!