April 30, 2013

Pad (Pat) Thai

Pad Thai on a serving plate.

It is starting to warm up nicely here. Over the weekend we went hiking and saw a ton of beautiful spring wildflowers.  The park was a new place for us and the ground was covered in a blanket of wildflowers and ramps. The forest smelled slightly like garlic from all the ramps. 

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After a long walk in the warm weather, I crave lighter foods and sometimes spicier foods. Pad (or sometimes called Pat or Phat) Thai definitely fits the bill. I ate Pad Thai once in Thailand. It was good, but it certainly wasn't my favorite dish I had there. But, it remains one of the most popular Thai dishes in the U.S. 

This was the first time I made this myself and we enjoyed it a lot. I used the recipe from Thai Food as a guide. I love this cookbook, but sometimes I take shortcuts or make substitutions because even with all the Asian markets around me, I can't always find every ingredient. Below is my adapted recipe which will serve two very hungry people.

Plate of Pad Thai with a lime wedge.

Pad (Pat) Thai
1 package (about 7 oz.) dried thin rice noodles
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cane sugar
2 teaspoons tamarind paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce 
juice of half a lime
coconut oil, for cooking
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias, greens and whites separated
about 1/3 lb. (about 13-15) medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined*
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
about 2 cups of bean sprouts
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
roughly chopped cilantro, for serving
extra lime wedges, for serving

Soak the rice noodles in room temperature water for about 1 hour, or until soft. Then drain.

Simmer the sugars, tamarind, fish sauce, and lime juice in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a wok or large skillet until hot. Add the shallot and scallions whites. Cook, stirring often, until they just start to color. Turn down the heat and add the shrimp and eggs. Stir vigorously to break apart and scramble the eggs. Add another tablespoons of oil and turn the heat back up. Add the noodles and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, tossing often. Then stir in the reserved sauce, red papper flakes, and 1 cup of bean sprouts. Toss until coated and hot and the shrimp is cooked through

Serve topped with the reserved scallion greens, crushed peanuts, remaining bean sprouts, cilantro, and lime wedges. Serve with extra red pepper flakes or chili sauce for a hotter dish.  

*You may also use cooked shredded chicken and/or firm tofu 

Close up of finished Pad Thai. 

25 comments:

  1. Hi Amy! This looks delicious. We're finally getting warmer weather here too. Ryan and I have been craving Asian food so this dish is a must-make. Thank you for sharing!

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  2. Thanks for reminding me of this dish, Amy - it is a fantastic dish to rustle up in a hurry and once you've made it once, most of the ingredients will be there for next time. Delicious!

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  3. Amy, this is a brilliant Thai recipe!
    It happened that I just had all ingredients at hand, except for the can sugar which I replaced with brown sugar.
    It turned out delicious,mmh.
    Thank you so much :)

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    1. That's so wonderful to hear! Thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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  4. It's finally warming up here too! What a beautiful dish this is, and with such great flavors! My mouth is just watering.

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  5. Pad thai is my absolute favorite Thai dish...loooove the way you stirred yours up!!!

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  6. Oh, this is a favourite of mine when it comes to Thai cusine... I really like your recipe.

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  7. i've never made Pad Thai at home, it's one of my favorite dishes to order. Looks yummy!

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  8. This is making my mouth water! Love pad thai!

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  9. Oh wow! this is so mouth watering & inviting! YUM! ;)

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  10. I love pad thai. In fact, I just had it on Tuesday night for dinner - so good! And yours looks wonderful - I could go for some right now!

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  11. Informative Article! Good to see somebody who really knows what they are talking about and can additionally produce common sense blog for us the reader. Certainly looking forward to your next article.

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  12. I didn't think I liked Pad Thai until I had it from a good restaurant without all the grease. I think I'd love it even more if it was homemade!

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  13. this looks great love Thai food all the best for the competition

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  14. Beautiful shrimp dish! Looks very appetizing! Good luck with the competition!

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  15. This would make the perfect dinner! Love love love it.

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  16. this sounds so so good right now :) YUM!!

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  17. I love pad Thai... this looks wonderful.

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  18. I made a rice noodle stir fry last week and it really got me craving pad thai! Have to try this!

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  19. My husband loves Pad Thai!!!!I have to start making it at home! This one looks delicious!

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  20. I love Pad Thai and yours sounds wonderful.

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  21. ugh, pad thai is one of my favorite things to eat and I've been craving it lately! I really need to try making it on my own!

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  22. Pad thai is my absolute favorite - I can't get enough of it! This looks absolutely delicious!

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  23. Hi Amy, your pad Thai look so delicious, love the generous serving of shrimps and beansprout.

    Best regards.

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