Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried wide rice noodles
- 1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
- 3 tablespoons tamarind juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled with tails on
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 1 fresh red chile, sliced
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
- 1 lime, cut into small wedges
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Soak the dried rice noodles in cool or lukewarm water for 30 minutes, or until they're limp but still firm to the touch; later cooking in the wok will soften them more. Drain the noodles thoroughly in a colander and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.
In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, tamarind juice, and sugar; stir well to melt the sugar. Taste and adjust flavors to the desired combination of salty, sour, and sweet.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat until it is smoking hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and quickly stir-fry the shrimp until they turn pink and are almost cooked through; 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Add the remaining oil to the wok and toss in the garlic, shallots, and chile; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Push the garlic and shallots to 1 side of the wok and pour the egg into the center. Scramble the egg lightly until set, breaking it up into pieces with a spatula. Add the drained noodles to the wok, stirring and tossing quickly with 2 spatulas to separate the strands. Pour in the fish sauce mixture, tossing well to coat the noodles and keep them from sticking (if the noodles are still too firm, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to help them cook.)
When the noodles are in good shape, toss in 1/2 of the bean sprouts and peanuts; save the remaining for garnish. Continue to stir-fry, to combine. Return the shrimp to the wok and toss the pad thai together to warm everything through. Serve the pad thai on a platter, pile the remaining bean sprouts and peanuts on 1 side of the dish and garnish with the lime wedges and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice over each portion before eating.
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By nikkiloos
on December 19, 2010
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This was very good and easy to make. I also added Peanut Butter to the fish sauce. I could not find Tamarind so i just added a little soy sauce. I will make this again!
By ssinderella
Orange County, CA
on July 06, 2010
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What more can you ask for? The ingredients cost less than 10.00 and easily fed 4 people. granted, I got my shrimp on sale at the asian market so that helps (or else it would have been less than 5.00. Anyway, the flavor was spot-on and it was so quick to make. The only difference I did was use palm sugar as oppsed to regular sugar (I have a LOT of Thai/Asian ingredients on hand.
As for some people thinking the fish sauce was overpowering. It REALLY makes a difference what kind of fish sauce you use. I find certain brands (taste of asia? especially the ones in the grocery sroe asian aisle can be really, really fishy with no flavor. If there is an asian market nearby, there are a number of less offensive ones (I use Tiparos--it is really mild--and only a dollar!. In a pinch, you could probably mix anchovy paste with a little water for the same flavor profile, since most fish sauce has anchovy as a main component. At any rate, great, fast, and easily tweaked to suit personal taste--also great "pasta" For those of us gluten intolerant folks.
By alex_12202743
Carmel, 53
on October 06, 2009
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I did this for a party this weekend (the theme was Thai food and everyone loved it.
It calls for a few too many peanuts for my taste, and a few people thought it was too spicy (although it was alright by me.
Other than that, it's fresh, the sauce is elegant, and the ingredients weren't expensive or hard to find. I have half a bag of bean sprouts that will go bad if I don't use them, so I might just do it again tonight.
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