Pad Thai (Thailand)
Today on World of Pasta, we are heading far east to the wonderful land of the Thai. There are a lot of great things to like about Thailand, from the bustling city of Bangkok to gorgeous beaches and street vendors selling some of the best food any country has to offer.
And by far the most well beloved and recognizable noodle dish in all of Thailand…aside from pad see ew has to be Pad Thai, a classic noodle dish made with bean sprouts, egg, veggies, and all sorts of goodness that tends to have quite a few variations. Some people do chicken, some do shrimp and seafood, some even do tofu pad thai, but what ties this delicious noodle dish together is the sweet, slightly sour sauce.
I am not going to directly say which version of pad thai is the best because I don’t want to start any arguments, but I will share an easy chicken Pad Thai recipe that is fairly accessible to the average American home cook and will made your taste buds dance.
Serves 4
For the Sauce:
6 tbsp packed light brown sugar
4 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp tamarind concentrate*
1 tsp sriracha (optional)
For the Pad Thai
10 oz wide stir fry rice noodles
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper
1/2 a white onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 green onions, white and dark green parts separated and thinly sliced
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup bean sprouts
Roughly chopped peanuts, for topping
Lime wedges, for serving
*Tamarind concentrate can be found in Asian supermarkets, you can certainly find it on Amazon, but if you don’t want to go through the trouble then rice wine vinegar is a decent substitute. The sauce won’t be as thick, but it should taste similar.
Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Place the rice noodles into a large heatproof bowl and pour enough boiling water over them to cover. Leave the noodles to soak for about 15 minutes.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wide nonstick skillet or a wok until the oil starts smoking. Add the chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, then cook for about 4 minutes, tossing now and then, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet, then add the onion, carrot and bell pepper and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the veggies start to soften. Add the garlic and green onion whites, then cook for another minute,
Push the veggies aside, add the final tablespoon of oil, then add the beaten eggs. Cook the eggs for about 2 minutes, or until almost firm, then add the bean sprouts and return the chicken to the pan, then toss to combine.
Drain the noodles, then add them to the pan along with the sauce, then toss until the sauce has thickened to where it can coat everything. Pile everything onto a serving platter, then top with chopped peanuts, green onion greens, and serve with lime wedges.
