As some of you may know, I’m trying to break my dependency on Thai take-out by learning to make it myself.
Pad Thai is one of my very favorite Thai dishes.
It was my very first experience with eating Thai food, way back when, and we instantly fell in love.
It’s so addictive, that it was all I could order off of a Thai menu ……..for years.
Sometimes I’d order it with chicken, sometimes with shrimp, sometimes only tofu.
I couldn’t pass it up.
I did eventually learn to love many other Thai dishes equally as much, but Pad Thai will forever hold a special place in my heart.
So, if I was going to be venturing into the world of Thai cooking, I absolutely had to perfect this beloved dish.
Just thinking about making it myself was daunting (so many ingredients!)
But, I was determined, and had somewhat of a new found confidence after the success of my Pad Krapow Moo (see my earlier post).
I did my research, and learned that there are a few very important methods that must be followed for this dish to be a success. If not, you will have a big noodley flop on your hands.
(1) Start out hot and keep it hot. Don’t let your wok cool down.
(2) Work fast and keep stirring.
(3) Make one or two portions at a time. It only takes a few minutes per portion, so try to do it individually if you can. The flavors in this dish come largely from how it’s cooked: fast, with high heat. Adding too much at once lets the heat escape. And then things get steamy and soggy and that is not a good thing. Some recipes out there suggest you do 4 portions at once! That is just setting you up to fail.
(4) Make the sauce ahead of time. When you’re working fast, you do not want to waste time measuring anything.
(5) Prepare all the ingredients and have them ready and close by, before beginning. Add them in sequence, and let the wok heat back up after each addition. Never throw them all in at once.
If you follow these methods, I guarantee you’re going to make the best Pad Thai you have ever eaten.
Here’s a list of what you’ll need. You can get most of this at your local grocery store, but a trip to an Asian market may be necessary. Hey, that’s part of the fun!
Thin rice noodles (also called Rice Sticks or Banh Pho)
Soak them. But don’t soak them until the noodles are soft enough to eat, or they will turn into a mushy mess in the wok. Just soak them until they are like very al dente pasta, then drain well. You’ll need about 2 loosely packed cups per portion. A 500g (or about a 16oz) bag of dried noodles should be enough for 6-8 portions. They’re cheap, and if left unsoaked, they will last forever.
Shrimp, or Chicken
The more traditional version of Pad Thai uses shrimp. I use about 5-6 shrimp per portion, raw and peeled. But, you can be as generous as you’d like. Or, you can use chicken, 2oz (about 1/2 a breast) per portion, cut into bite-size pieces.
Tofu
You can use just about any firm-textured tofu you can find. I use the pressed tofu that comes in square blocks. Cut the tofu into thin, bite-size pieces, and use a small handful for each portion. For vegetarian Pad Thai, with only tofu, you’ll want to use a little more.
Eggs
Crack one egg into the wok per serving.
Ground Peanuts
Use roasted and unsalted peanuts. Chop them up really good, but not too much because you don’t want powder. Use 1-2 tablespoons per portion, depending on how much you like peanuts.
Flat-leaf Garlic Chives, also called Chinese Chives
Garlic Chive is the more traditional herb for Pad Thai, but you can also use the green part of a scallion. Cut them into 2 inches pieces, and use a handful of them per portion.
Bean sprouts
Use about a cup per portion. You can use as much or little as you like.
Dried shrimp (optional)
These tiny salty dried shrimp add extra flavor, but you can easily skip it altogether. If you decide to use this, grind it up using a stone mortar and pestle, or a cuisinart, until fluffy. You can also chop it up very finely using a kitchen knife, but you have to be sure to chop up all of the hard bits. This can be tricky. I use about 1-2 tablespoons per portion.
Chopped garlic
I use about a teaspoon per serving.
Fresh lime
A couple of squeezes per serving. And then extra wedges to serve with the meal.
OK, so let’s get started.
Pad Thai
Adapted from Chez Pim
First, I prepare all of the above ingredients and have them ready in separate bowls.
Next, I make my sauce. There are four ingredients in the Pad Thai sauce, Tamarind pulp (for the sour flavor), Fish Sauce (for the salty part), Palm Sugar, (for some sweetness), and Thai chilli powder (for the spice). Two cups of sauce will make about 6-8 portions of Pad Thai. If you’re only making a portion or two, the sauce keeps very well tightly covered, in the fridge.
*See Note below about Tamarind pulp and Palm Sugar.*
You should begin with ½ cup each of Tamarind, Fish Sauce, and Palm Sugar. Put them all in a small saucepan, and heat over a low flame. Add the chilli powder. Begin with a teaspoon, and add more if you like, depending on your taste. Let this happily simmer for a minute or two, and then turn off the heat. Here is the beauty of preparing the sauce ahead of time: You can take your time to taste and adjust the sauce precisely to your liking, which would be hard to do in the wok.
My recipe is for making one portion. Adjust accordingly if you’re going to make two portions at once. But, remember, no more than that!
Now it’s time to get your wok smoking hot. Heat it up over a high flame until very hot, just to the point of smoking.
Add a few splashes of oil, about 3 tablespoons.
If you are making Chicken Pad Thai, add the chicken first, and cook, stirring vigorously, until it’s half way done, about 1-2 minutes, then add the tofu, a tablespoon or two of the sauce to flavor the chicken, and the chopped garlic.
Remember: Work fast, and keep stirring!
If you are making Tofu Pad Thai, or Shrimp (and tofu) Pad Thai, then only add the tofu (and garlic) for now. Cook for another minute until the tofu is crisp and slightly brown at the edges.
Add the noodles, about 2 loosely packed cups for one portion, and then a ladle (about ¼ cup) of warm sauce. Stir rigorously, keeping everything moving in the wok, and cook the noodles until soft. Remember to break up the noodles and don’t let them lump together. If the sauce evaporates too quickly and your noodles aren’t ready, sprinkle in a bit of water and keep stirring. You can also add a bit of oil, too if necessary.
When the noodles are done (taste them to be sure), push them up to one side of the wok and crack an egg into the middle. Let it set for 10-15 seconds and toss everything together.
Add the shrimp (if using), ground peanuts, ground dried shrimp, bean sprouts. Keep things moving. Add more sauce if it looks a little pale.
When shrimp is done, (that shouldn’t take more than a minute), add a handful of Garlic Chives. Turn the heat off, and quickly give the wok a good stirring to mix everything together.
Give it a big squeeze of lime and some more peanuts, if you’d like. Toss again.
Add the finished Pad Thai to a plate. Serve with extra peanuts and fresh lime on the table, maybe some extra chili powder.
Give the wok a quick rinse with warm water, wipe off any excess bits of food with a towel, then put the wok back onto the fire. As soon as it heats back up to a smoking point, you’re ready for your next portion!
It’s simple, and so exciting to make! The first time I made it was just for rosebud and myself. I love love loved it.
It was fresh and flavorful. Everything came together so deliciously. It was pretty close to perfect and I immediately wished I would have had the confidence to invite a friend over for this.
It was something new to rosebud, so she was hesitant at first, but then she seemed to really like it, being the noodle-lover that she is.
Once you’ve made this a few times and you’re comfortable with it, making it will become like second nature.
I’ve made it 4 times now and it keeps getting better. I believe it’s because I’m winging it more and more. The last time I made it, I didn’t even use the recipe.
Now that’s the kind of cook I want to become.
*Note*: Tamarind can be found in various forms — concentrated pulp with seeds, a canned paste, whole dried pods, or powdered — and is available in Indian and some other Asian markets, and available in syrup form in a broader selection of markets. There is a wide variety of tamarind products available online.
