If you’ve only had one Thai dish, it may well be pad thai. And for good reason — it’s delicious!
There are probably as many different versions of pad thai as there cooks. This is a simple (but still delicious) version, adapted from Nancy McDermott’s Real Thai, which is is very good.
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb. rice noodles (any kind — I like the flat, wide ones)
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
- 8 (or more) shrimp, peeled and deveined (and cut in half if they’re large)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 2 Tbsp. dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 C. bean sprouts (reserve a few for garnish)
- 4 scallions, sliced on the diagonal in 1-inch lengths
- 1 lime, quartered lengthwise
- (Optional) You can add any number of extras, such as fried tofu, pickled radish, garlic chives, etc., etc. I added some dried chilis, 10-month-old pickled garlic, and “dongcai,” a Sichuanese pickled vegetable:
Method:
1) Soak the rice noodles for 15-? minutes (it depends on the size of the noodle) in warm water. You don’t want them to get too soft, or they’ll fall apart. It took about 40 minutes for the noodles I used. When they’re done, drain them.
2) Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. oil. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir for another minute, or until they are opaque.
3) Remove from pan and reserve.
4) Add the egg to the pan and swirl to coat the bottom. As soon as it turns opaque, like this:
. . . scramble it, breaking it up into small lumps, then add to the shrimp.
5) Add 1 Tbsp. oil. Over medium heat, fry the noodles, spreading them over the bottom of the pan, then turning them (as best you can) with a spatula. Do this three or four times, and yes, they will stick 🙂
6) Add the fish sauce and stir to combine.
7) Add the sugar and peanuts and stir to combine.
8) Add the bean sprouts, scallions, shrimp and eggs, and any optional ingredients. Stir for 1 minute.
9) Remove from heat, sprinkle over the juice from two of the lime quarters and toss to combine.
10) Garnish with the reserved bean sprouts and optionally some chopped scallions. Serve with additional lime slices on the side.
Yum!
-R