Authentic Pad Thai Food

AUTHENTIC PAD THAI

Steps:

• Place rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with several inches of room temperature water; let soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain.
• Whisk sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil and minced garlic in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Stir in eggs; scramble until eggs are nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken breast slices and rice noodles; stir to combine.
• Stir in tamarind mixture, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and salt; cook until noodles are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in peanuts; cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with bean sprouts, chives, paprika, and lime wedges.

PAD THAI

Steps:

• Place noodles in a large bowl, pour over plenty of boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain in a colander and quickly rinse under cold water. Don't leave them sitting around for more than 5 - 10 minutes.
• Mix Sauce in small bowl.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan (or well seasoned skillet) over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 30 seconds.
• Add chicken and cook for 1 1/2 minutes until mostly cooked through.
• Push to one side of the pan, pour egg in on the other side. Scramble using the wooden spoon (add touch of extra oil if pan is too dry), then mix into chicken.
• Add bean sprouts, tofu, noodles then Sauce.
• Toss gently for about 1 1/2 minutes until Sauce is absorbed by the noodles.
• Add garlic chives and half the peanuts. Toss through quickly then remove from heat.
• Serve immediately, sprinkled with remaining peanuts and lime wedges on the side, with a sprinkle of chilli and a handful of extra beansprouts on the side if desired (this is the Thai way!). Squeeze over lime juice to taste before eating.

AUTHENTIC PAD THAI RECIPE

Steps:

• Add palm sugar to a small pot and melt over medium heat. Once the sugar is melting, keep stirring until it darkens in colour (see video for colour). Immediately add water, fish sauce, and tamarind paste. The sugar will harden immediately and this is okay.
• Bring sauce to a simmer, then turn off heat. The hardened sugar will not have dissolved at this point, but let it sit while you prep other ingredients and it should be dissolved by the time you need it. Check that it is dissolved before you start cooking!
• Cut drained noodles once with scissors so they are half as long. This makes them easier to toss and separate in the wok.
• In a bowl, combine tofu, garlic, shallots, preserved radish, dried shrimp, and chili flakes.
• Heat a wok or a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add just enough oil to coat the bottom. Sear shrimp, or whatever protein you're using, until done and remove them from pan.
• In the same wok over medium heat, add a little more oil if needed, then add everything in the tofu bowl and sauté for a few minutes until garlic starts to turn golden and shallots are wilted. If the wok looks dry, add a little more oil. (Don't skimp on oil otherwise the noodles will clump up together.)
• Turn heat up to high then add noodles and sauce. Keep tossing until all the sauce is absorbed.
• Once sauce is absorbed, you can turn off the heat and taste the noodles for doneness. If they're still undercooked, add a little more water and continue cooking, being careful not to add too much water!
• Once noodles are done, push them to one side of the pan. Add add little extra oil to the empty space and add eggs. Break the yolks, then put noodles on top of eggs and cook for about 30 seconds. Flip and toss to mix eggs into noodles.
• Toss the cooked protein back in, plus any collected juices. Then add bean sprouts, garlic chives and half of the peanuts. Turn off the heat and toss until well mixed.
• Serve immediately with a lime wedge and extra peanuts on top. For a classic presentation you can add a little extra side of bean sprouts and some garlic chives garnish.
• Be sure to squeeze a bit of lime on top before eating!

PAD THAI

Steps:

• Follow the package instructions to boil the dry rice noodles. The rice noodles should be soft (but still chewy and not mushy) after boiling. Rinse the boiled noodles with cold running water.
• Mix all the ingredients in the Pad Thai Sauce in a small bowl until well combined and the sugar completely dissolved, set aside.
• Heat up a skillet on high heat and add the oil. As soon as the oil is heated, add the garlic into the skillet and start stirring until you smell the aroma of the garlic. Add the shrimp and the tofu pieces into the skillet and continue stirring. As soon as the shrimp changes color, add the noodles into the skillet and stir continuously, about 30 seconds. Use the spatula to push the noodles to one side of the skillet, and crack the egg on the empty side of the skillet. Use the spatula to break the egg yolk and blend with the egg white, let cook for about 30 seconds. Combine the egg and the noodles, and add the Seasoning sauce. Stir to combine well with the noodles.
• Next, add the bean sprouts and chives and continue stirring. As soon as the bean sprouts are cooked, stir-in the crushed peanut. Turn off the heat and serve the Pad Thai immediately with the lime wedges.

PAD THAI

Steps:

• For the Pad Thai Sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice, vinegar, paprika and chili sauce. Set aside.
• For the Pad Thai: Soak the noodles in enough warm water to cover for 1 hour.
• If using, cut the banana leaf into round shapes using an overturned bowl. Place on the serving platter and hold for plating.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil and coat the skillet completely. When the skillet starts to smoke, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 seconds. Add the tofu and dried shrimp and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Push ingredients in the skillet to one side and let the oil settle in the center of skillet. Crack the eggs into the oil and let set until half-cooked, about 30 seconds, then lightly scramble. Combine with the remaining cooked ingredients in the skillet, scraping the bits from the bottom before they burn. Add 3 cups of the drained noodles and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve the noodle soaking water.
• Add the salted turnip and shrimp. Cook until both the chicken and shrimp are at medium doneness, about 1 minute. Add the sauce and fold together until all the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.
• Place half of the bean sprouts, half of the crushed peanuts and the garlic chives (or scallions) in the center of noodles, and then spoon some noodles over them to cover and let steam for 30 seconds. If the skillet seems dry, add a small amount of the noodle soaking water. Transfer to a serving plate with the banana leaf circle, and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, peanuts and lime.

PAD SEE EW RECIPE (ผัดซีอิ๊ว)

Steps:

• Comb through the fresh wide rice noodles, making sure any clumps are separated.
• Peel then mince 3 cloves of garlic, slice the chicken into small bite sized pieces, and slice the Chinese broccoli into 1.5 centimeter strips.
• Heat the wok (or frying pan) on a medium heat and add about 2 tablespoons of oil.
• Wait until the oil is hot, and then fry the garlic for about 10 seconds or so, making sure it sizzles in the hot oil.
• Add the chopped chicken to the wok and stir fry for it about a minute until the chicken is nearly all the way white in color and cooked pretty well though and through.
• Now, turn down your heat (or if you're using an electric stove you can even move your pan off the burner for a moment).
• Toss in the rice noodles, the Chinese broccoli, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, ½ tablespoon of dark soy sauce, and a ½ teaspoon of sugar.
• Still on low heat, start to fold the noodles gently by picking them up with the spatula from the bottom, and folding them over (If you stir fry too hard, the stickiness from the noodles can make them turn into a big noodle blob - believe me, I've done this too many times and it's not pretty!).
• Cook the noodles for about 1 -2 minutes. If it gets a little dry, you can drizzle in a tiny bit of oil.
• After the noodles are well mixed, scoot the noodles to one side of the wok, and proceed to crack an egg into the empty side.
• Now it's time to crank up the heat on your stove - for the final step we want a little char on the noodles and egg for great flavor.
• Scramble the egg, and then fold the noodles onto the egg, sort of when it's half cooked. Let the heat sear the egg for a few seconds and then start folding the noodles and egg together. With a hot flaming fire, you should get a little char to both the noodles and the egg.
• Fry for about 30 more seconds, making sure to be gentle with the noodles, and then turn off the heat and dish it out.
• Sprinkle a little freshly ground pepper on the top of the noodles. You can also eat pad see ew with a bit of chili flakes on top and some vinegar for taste.

A FAVORITE THAI STIR FRY NOODLE DISH AT HOME: PAD THAI RECIPE

Steps:

• To make pad Thai sauce, heat a small pan on medium low and add the tamarind concentrate, water, palm sugar, fish sauce, and garlic. Cook the sauce until the palm sugar has completely dissolved. At this point, you will want to carefully taste the sauce and tweak the sweetness or tangyness by adding a tiny bit more palm sugar or tamarind. Be careful, the sauce will be hot.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool 10 minutes before storing it in a jar or plastic container.
• Boil the rice noodles on high heat for 2 minutes then drain immediately, rinsing the noodles with cold water for just a few seconds. Noodles should be slightly firmer than al dente. Don't worry, they will continue to soften and cook later when stir frying.
• Using kitchen shears, cut the noodle clump in half. This will make it a lot easier to stir-fry and eat.
• In a wok of large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil on high heat. Add to the pan the protein and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the protein and transfer to a plate or bowl.
• Return the pan to heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Allow the oil to heat up and add the onions and stir-fry (stir + fry) for one minute then add the garlic and cook for another minute, making sure to stir often enough so the garlic does not burn.
• Add the noodles to the pan and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir fry the noodles for two minutes. This will help the noodles soften a tiny bit more but more importantly will provide enough surface texture for the sauce to adhere to.
• Add 3-4 tablespoons of the pad Thai sauce continually stirring the noodles until they are coasted with sauce - about a minute.
• Add the protein back in and fry for an additional 2-3 minutes, adding more sauce if necessary. You don't want to noodles to be "wet." Instead you want to add a little bit at a time allowing the noodles and the other ingredients to soak in the sauce.
• Move the pad Thai over to one side of the pan. Add the last tablespoon of oil to the bare side then crack an egg over it. Scramble the egg with a wooden spoon and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add half the sprouts and half the carrots along with the scallions. Mix and stir-fry everything for 1 more minute, frying everything together.
• Test the firmness of the noodle. If the noodle is too firm, continue to stir-fry for an additional minute adding a spoonful of sauce if necessary.
• Remove pad Thai from heat and serve and garnish with remaining julienned carrots, spouts, cilantro, toasted peanuts, and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!

AUTHENTIC PAD THAI

Steps:

• Soak the dry noodles in lukewarm water while preparing the other ingredients, for 10-15 minutes.
• Julienne tofu and cut into pieces 1 inch long.
• Cut up Chinese chives into 1 inch long pieces. Set aside a few fresh chives for a garnish.
• Rinse the bean sprouts and save half for serving fresh.
• Mince shallot and garlic together.
• Heat the oil in a wok on high.
• Fry the peanuts until toasted and remove them from the wok.
• Add shallot, garlic and tofu and stir them until they start to brown.
• The noodles should be flexible but not expanded at this point. Drain the noodles and add to the wok. Stir quickly to keep things from sticking.
• Add tamarind, sugar, fish sauce, chili pepper and preserved turnip. Stir. The heat should remain high. If your wok is not hot enough, you will see a lot of juice in the wok at this point. Turn up the heat, if it is the case.
• Make room for the egg by pushing all noodles to the side of the wok. Crack the egg onto the wok and scramble it until it is almost all cooked. Fold the egg into the noodles.
• Add shrimp and stir for a minute.
• Add bean sprouts, chives. Stir a few more times. The noodles should be soft and very tangled.
• Pour onto the serving plate and sprinkle with the fried peanuts. Serve hot with banana flower, a wedge of lime, raw Chinese chives and raw bean sprouts.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN PAD THAI

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions. This is often soaked in warm water rather than boiled over the stovetop. (Save the water for a pro tip offered in step #5!)
• 2. While noodles are cooking, whisk together sauce ingredients. This includes soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, lime juice, and fish sauce in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
• 3. Heat sesame oil in a wok or a deep saute pan set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Once cooked, transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
• 4. Add red bell pepper and carrots to the hot pan and saute 2 minutes. Then add green onions, garlic, and bean sprouts and saute 1 minute longer, until fragrant.
• 5. To the vegetable mixture, add back the chicken along with the cooked noodles and sauce. Toss everything together and cook for 2 minutes until all ingredients are coated. If the dish starts to become dry, add back moisture by adding a bit of the water used to soak the noodles.
• 6. Serve warm topped with cilantro, peanuts, and optional garnishes.
• 7. Pair with sesame sugar snap peas and other ideas listed below!

VEGETARIAN PAD THAI

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Dunk in rice noodles and stir with a fork to separate.
• Cook 4 to 6 minutes, just until noodles are limp but still too firm to eat (a little firmer than al dente ). Then drain and rinse with cold water.
• Combine the pad thai sauce ingredients in a cup, stirring well to dissolve sugar and tamarind. Note that this sauce should have a very strong-tasting flavor: sour-sweet first, followed by salty and spicy. Add more sugar if too sour. Set aside.
• Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil plus garlic and onion. Stir-fry for 1 minute to release the fragrance.
• Add bok choy plus enough stock or white wine to keep ingredients frying nicely. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until bok choy is bright green and slightly softened.
• Push the ingredients aside and add 1/2 tablespoon more of the oil to the center of the wok/pan. Add the egg (if using-don't add the alternative soft tofu quite yet) and stir-fry briefly to scramble.
• If the pan is dry, push the ingredients aside and add a little more of the oil to the middle. Add the drained noodles and 1/3 of the pad thai sauce. Stir-fry everything together for 1 to 2 minutes using 2 utensils and a gently tossing motion (like tossing a salad).
• Keep the heat between medium-high and high, reducing if noodles begin to stick or burn. Continue adding sauce and stir-frying for 3 to 6 more minutes, or until all sauce is added and noodles are soft but still chewy and deliciously sticky. If using soft tofu, add it with the last of the sauce; it will break up and be distributed throughout the dish, just as the egg would.
• Switch off the heat and add bean sprouts, green onions, and 3/4 of the nuts. Toss and taste test, adding more soy sauce for more salt/flavor. If too salty or sweet for your taste, add a good squeeze of lime juice. If too sour, add a little more sugar.
• To serve, scoop noodles onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with remaining chopped nuts and fresh cilantro. Add wedges of fresh-cut lime on the side to be squeezed over just before eating.