Prawn Tofu Pad Thai Food

PRAWN AND TOFU PAD THAI

Steps:

• Place rice noodles in a large bowl. Pour over and cover completely with boiling water. Allow to soak for 3-4 minutes until noodles become an opaque white colour, tender yet firm. Drain. Refresh several times in cold water. Drain and set aside.
• Heat one tablespoon peanut oil on medium in a large wok. Add peanuts, garlic, chilli and garlic chives. Stir fry for a few seconds until fragrant.
• Add the snow peas, tofu and prawns. Stir fry for a couple of minutes on high, tossing with the metal turner. If your wok is very hot, you might get a slight char on the snow peas and tofu. This will impart a wonderful smoky flavour to the dish.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, push all ingredients to one side of the wok and add the egg to the other. Toss and break the egg up as it cooks. Cook only for a few seconds until done. Add the noodles, fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind puree, lemon and salt. Toss to mix well. Add sprouts. If noodles are too dry, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to loosen them. Cook for another couple of minutes until heated through and steamy. It is vital that you have only cooked everything for 4-5 minutes on high since adding the snow peas as the snow peas should be glossy but still have a crunch.
• Remove from heat and have a taste. It should taste salty, sour with only a bit of heat and sweetness.
• Serve piping hot in noodle bowls topped with chives, lemon wedges and extra chilli if using.

PRAWN & TOFU PAD THAI

Steps:

• Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions.
• Meanwhile, make the tamarind sauce. Coarsely grate the palm sugar into a bowl, add the tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, a dash of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of boiling water and mix well so the sugar dissolves. Taste, and adjust the flavours if needed - you're looking for sweet, sour and slightly salty.
• Halve, deseed and finely slice the chillies, then place in a bowl with the juice from 1 lime to make a quick pickle.
• Drain the noodles and toss in a little oil.
• Peel and roughly chop the shallots, then trim and finely slice the chives. Pick and roughly chop most of the basil and mint leaves.
• Slice the tofu into rough 1cm chunks. Run the tip of a knife down the back of each prawn and pull out the vein, meaning they'll butterfly as they cook. Rinse the dried shrimps under cold running water, then pat dry with kitchen paper.
• Place a large wok on a medium heat with a splash of oil, then add the dried shrimps, peanuts and chilli flakes. Toss for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden.
• Take the pan off the heat, transfer half the mixture to a pestle and mortar and lightly crush, keeping to one side. Return the pan to a medium-high heat with another splash of oil, adding the shallots to the mix. Fry for 2 minutes, or until turning golden.
• Toss in the prawns, chives, chopped herbs and shredded radish, then cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until the prawns are almost cooked through.
• Beat and add the egg, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then fold through and toss in the tofu, noodles, beansprouts and tamarind sauce until well combined.
• Divide the pad Thai between bowls, sprinkle over the crushed nut mixture from the mortar and pick over the remaining mint and basil leaves. Serve with the quick pickled chillies and lime wedges for squeezing over. Delicious!

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 THAI WITH SHRIMP AND TOFU

Steps:

• Start by soaking the flat rice noodles in slightly hot water for 30-50 minutes. Lets prepare the other ingredients while soaking.
• Cut the firm tofu into matchsticks cuts (thin strips about 1 inch long). Fry the tofu in 1 tbsp peanut oil until golden on all sides. Set aside.
• Add salt to egg and gently stir.
• Prepare the sauce. Combine fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, Thai Style Chili Sauce, Tamarind juice concentrate, ketchup, and chili pepper. Set aside.
• Heat up 1 tbsp peanut oil over medium-high fire; add garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper.
• Once garlic begin to brown, add cabbage, stir until soften.
• Add the prepared sauce.
• Add the flat rice noodles, stirring quickly to prevent from sticking. Taste the noodles to check firmness. Noodles should be heavier in taste at the moment, but if it's not soft enough, add a little water and cook a bit longer.
• Put noodles to one side, crack egg into pan, and in about 20 seconds, scramble and fold into noodles.
• Add shrimp, stir for 30 seconds.
• Add bean sprouts, green onion, firm tofu, and peanuts.
• When shrimps are pink on both sides, remove from fire.
• Serve with cilantro and lime juice.