Pad Thai is a traditional Thai stir-fry dish made of flat rice noodles, a variety of vegetables, meat or seafood, garlic, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts. These components are thrown in a spicy, sweet, and tangy sauce with an umami bite after being cooked in a wok over high heat. This dish is also known as Phad Thai Noodles and may be found on the streets of Thailand and in Thai restaurants all over the world. Despite the fact that stir-fried rice noodles were brought to Thailand from mainland China centuries ago, the dish pad thai was invented in the mid-20th century. Many of the ingredients, such as the red chilli pepper, lime wedges, roasted peanuts, bean sprouts, spring onion, and other various fresh vegetables, are served on the side as condiments. In vegetarian variants, soy sauce can be used instead of fish sauce, and the shrimp can be avoided entirely. Pad Thai noodles have become everyone's new favourite. It is a dish that comprises different flavours and spices. The dish is a perfect amalgamation of Chinese and Thai flavours that hit the right spots on our taste buds.
Here is the recipe for the delicious Pad Thai noodles-
Ingredients
- Red pepper
- Cilantro
- Yellow pepper
- Sesame Oil
- Garlic
- Tamarind Paste
- Bean Sprouts
- Flat Rice Noodles
- Vegetable Stock
- Peanuts
- Onions
- Brown Sugar
- Red Chilli Paste
- Soy Sauce
Directions
- Soak 300 gms flat rice noodles for 5-8 minutes in boiling water until soft.
- Drain the water and add a few drops of oil to the noodles.
- Add 1/4 cup vegetable stock, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon tamarind paste, 1 teaspoon red chilli paste, salt to taste, and 1/2 cup water to a saucepan.
- On high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to low heat and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside. Pad Thai Sauce is now ready to use.
- In a wok, add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil over high heat.
- Add 2 teaspoons chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon chopped Thai red chile to the heated oil. Cook for 4-5 seconds.
- Add 1/4 cup sliced onions, 1/4 cup sliced red bell pepper, 1/4 cup sliced yellow bell pepper and 1/4 cup bean sprouts. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Now, add the boiled noodles and sauce to the skillet and toss it to evenly coat the noodles. The noodles will be runny at this point, but they will soak up the sauce and darken in colour in 3-4 minutes.
- Top the noodles with 1/4 cup crumbled roasted peanuts, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, and 5-6 lemon wedges. Serve immediately.
Pad Thai noodles/ Pixabay.com
- To make a non-vegetarian version of this dish, feel free to add chicken, shrimp, beef, pork or eggs.
- If you want an authentic taste, use toasted sesame oil; otherwise, use vegetable or canola oil.
- You can also add palm sugar to the dish if it is easily available.
- If bean sprouts aren't readily available, skip them.
- Tamarind paste is the key ingredient in this dish, so don't skip it.
