A Recipe for Pad Thai (mixed noodle from thailand)

Serves 4-5. If you don't have a large wok and a high flame on your stove, you may need to halve this recipe.

• 14 oz rice noodles (Size "S"; thin strips)
• 8 oz fried tofu (you can also add cooked shrimp, chicken, or any other form of protein you want. I use 1/4 lb shrimp and 1 chicken leg/thigh)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup chopped peanuts
• 12 garlic chives, bottoms cut off
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts (the thick ones)
• 1/4 c minced garlic
• 1/2 c hua chai po wan (sweet preserved radish -- หัวไชโป้วหวาน) (boiled for 2 min then chopped, or buy it sliced into thin strips)
• 1/3 c vegetable oil (the more you use, the better the noodles turn out :-)
• 1 lime cut into wedges for garnish
• cayenne pepper or ground dried Thai chilies to sprinkle on top

Plus the sauce, which is:

• 6 Tbsp palm, turbinado, brown, or other unrefined sugar (palm sugar is the traditional ingredient)
• 1/2 c tamarind concentrate + 1/2 c water, or a golfball-sized piece of tamarind paste dissolved in 1 c water
• 6 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 6 Tbsp fish sauce + 1 1/4 tsp salt or 4 Tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp paprika, or red chili if you are feeling adventurous

First thing is to soak the rice noodles. Soak the noodles for 10-20 minutes in warm water. If you do this when you start, you can just put the bowl with soaking noodles aside and they will be ready for cooking by the time the prep is finished.

Make the sauce in a bowl by mixing all the ingredients well. The sauce should be a nice balance between sweet (the sugar) and tangy (the tamarind and vinegar). The paprika/chili should give it a good orange color. Add more if you want it more pronounced. If it is too sweet, add more tamarind or vinegar; if it is too tangy, add more sugar. There should be enough liquid to cover the noodles in the wok.

If you are using meat, brown it in a pan. I cut the chicken into pieces and cook until it starts to brown, then add the shrimp and cook until both are done. It doesn't really get cooked much more once added to the noodles later, so now's your chance.

Before starting the final cooking, ensure the noodles are soft (they will be flexible but still somewhat hard to the tooth). Drain in a colander.

Heat the oil in a wok or wide, deep frying pan over high heat. Fry the garlic just until fragrant, then add the beaten egg and scramble. Throw in 1/2 the bean sprouts, the preserved radish and half the garlic chives and fry for about 5 seconds, then add the noodles. Fry the noodles, stirring constantly, for a few more seconds, then add the the tofu or meat. Finally, pour in the sauce. The noodles should quickly cook in the bubbling sauce. Stir constantly. In the last 30 seconds of cooking, add the other half of the garlic chives, and stir till combined. The noodles should be tender now. Now remove from heat. The garlic chives should remain almost raw. Garnish with the bean sprouts and peanuts. Sprinkle some more chili on top, to taste. Serve with a little spoonful of brown sugar and a lime wedge on each plate.