Perfect Pad Thai
Ingredients
250g dried flat rice noodles
1 tablespoon tamarind puree (soaked in a bit of warm water to loosen)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons grated palm sugar
juice of 1 lime or lemon
2 tablespoons light cooking oil
3 fresh red chillies (or green ones if you want a hotter dish), deseeded and chopped
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
3 eggs
3 handfuls fresh bean sprouts
4 spring onions, including the green shoots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts to garnish
lime or lemon wedges to garnish
1 handful fresh coriander sprigs, roughly chopped, to garnish
Description
Made in the traditional way, Pad Thai is true comfort food. You can add chicken and prawns if you want to, but this is a good basic recipe to get you started. It should be cooked quickly, just before eating, but you can soak the noodles and make the sauce in advance.
Method
Place rice noodles in a bowl and pour enough boiling water over to cover them. Leave for at least 20 minutes until softened - they should still be firm to the bite because they will cook more in the wok or pan.
Drain the noodles and set aside until required.
Meanwhile, mix the tamarind puree, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime or lemon juice in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a gentle simmer while you start the fast and furious cooking process.
Heat a wok or thin-based frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the oil. Add the chillies and garlic, and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the drained rice noodles and stir-fry until hot. Add the hot sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes, keeping the noodles moving around the pan to avoid sticking and to get them coated in the sauce. If the sauce evaporates too quickly - before the noodles are ready - add a bit of water and keep stirring. If the noodles continue to stick together, add a bit of oil.
When the noodles are nearly ready - well coated in sauce - push them to one side of the wok or pan and crack the eggs into the space provided. Stir with a fork to scramble the eggs until set. Stir eggs through the noodles then add bean sprouts and spring onions and continue to stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and turn onto a plate.
Garnish with peanuts, wedges of lime or lemon and coriander.
Categories
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