Stir-Fried Noodles
Pad Thai
(Serves 4)

One of the most popular dishes in Thailand and well known in the U.S.  Thin rice noodles make it difficult to cook this in large batches, so for more than four people cook two batches.

8 oz. rice noodles—“rice stick” (see sidebar)
4 oz. boneless chicken breast
4 oz. firm tofu (1" cubes)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
8 medium shrimp (shelled and deveined)
2 eggs
1 C bean sprouts
6 T peanuts (unsalted, roasted)
2 scallions (green part, chopped)
fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 limes (quartered)
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Tamarind Sauce
4 T warm water
4 T tamarind paste (see sidebar)
4 T palm sugar (or use 2 T brown sugar)
4 T shrimp sauce (see sidebar)
1/2 tsp. chili powder (or more, to taste)

This dish cooks quickly, so make sure everything is prepared ahead of time. You don’t want the Pad Thai to overcook while you make the sauce or chop nuts..

Tamarind sauce: in a saucepan combine tamarind paste with 1/4 C warm water. Add sugar and shrimp paste. Heat to melt and blend the ingredients. Begin adding chili pepper powder. Add 1/2 tsp. chili powder (or more according to your taste). Set the sauce aside.

Prep: soak noodles in warm water 40-60 min., till malleable but not too tender. Slice chicken into 1/4" strips. Slice tofu into 3/4" cubes. Finely chop peanuts with the blade of a knife (or blender), but be careful not to make a fine powder or paste. 

Stir-Fry:  Heat oil in wok or large skillet till almost smoking.  Add chicken and stir-fry quickly for 1 minute. Add tofu and garlic, stirring for 2 more minutes. Add tamarind sauce, bit at a time, stirring and blending ingredients.

Next add shrimp, stirring 1 minute. Keep adding sauce. Move everything over to side and add eggs, letting them cook for 30 seconds; then toss eggs together with mixture. 

Drain noodles add to skillet or wok. Add more sauce, stirring to blend. Add sprouts, 1/2 the peanuts, stirring all the time. If it’s too dry, add more sauce, oil, or even a bit of water. Cook till noodles are slightly al dente.

Turn Pad Thai into a serving dish, top with remaining peanuts, scallions, cilantro, and lime quarters.  Serve immediately.

Tips & Glossary: Southeast Asian

You probably won’t have many of the ingredients common to this cuisine. So before undertaking any of the recipes, make a list and head to an Asian food store.

Toss any old, even unopened, spice jars because they’ve probably lost their distinctive flavors. Put them on your shopping list. 

About those chilis: Southeast Asian food is Hot, with a capital H, hotter than most Westerners are used to. We’ve turned the heat down in these recipes somewhat, but just to warn you: adjust the use of chilies to your tastes.

Rice Sticks: aka rice noodles or vermicelli; thin dried noodles from rice flour. Soak before using, about 1 hour, or less, depending on how soft or chewy you like your noodles. You’ll want to experiment a bit before you find the texture you want. 

Shrimp Paste: made of fermented, ground shrimp. Called terasi in Indonesia, kapi in Thailand, blachanag in Malay, and mam tom in Vietnamese. It has a pungent smell, which you may find hard to take, but it’s essential in many dishes. 

Tamarind: tropical tree grown in Africa and Asia; its fruit pulp is used as souring agent for savory dishes in Asian cooking. It’s also found in Worcestershire sauce and some ketchup.

Wok: you can use a wok, though it’s not necessary—a deep, wide skillet will do. If you use a wok, make sure it’s properly seasoned: coat bottom and sides with 1 C oil and it till it begins to smoke.  Let it smoke for 2-3 minutes.  Pour out oil, and when wok is cool enough, rub with paper towel, removing excess oil.  Pour in ½ C coarse-grained salt and rub into bottom and sides of wok. Pour off salt and rub wok with a thin layer of oil—and you’ve got a seasoned wok.