Pad Thai

Thai Pad by Eva H.

Why I like this recipe?
“This is one of my fave dishes ever – and when I´m in Thailand I eat it about once a day. Eaten fresh off a cart in the street, it´s as good as it gets. My quest in Prague for the perfect Pad Thai is never ending, but I´m happy now to make it at home because it´s QUICK, CHEAP, and HEALTHY. As a village mom, I can´t just run to Noi whenever I feel like it. Once you´ve managed to track down the ingredients you´ll be a pro and it´s very simple to tweak the ingredients from my recipe below to suit your own preferences. “Same same, but different ;)”

Preparation time
10 minutes

Cooking time
10 minutes

Serves
2-3

Ingredients
1-2 tbsps peanut oil*
3 cloves pressed garlic
Chicken meat (tofu if you´re vegetarian)
½ package Thai rice noodles (wide flat ones are best for this dish)
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp fish sauce*
¼ cup tamarind sauce *
2 tbsps brown sugar*
½ tsps red chili flakes (you can substitute chili sauce)
½ tsps ground white pepper (black can work but it´s really best to use white)
1 cup bean sprouts (use less if you´re not a big fan)

2 stalks Spring onion, thinly sliced
1 egg
Ground up peanuts
A few sprigs fresh Cilantro (optional)
1 lime, sliced into 6 – 8 wedges
Soy sauce to serve with

Preparation method
The first step is to place your rice noodles in lukewarm water. Leave them to soak no longer than 10 minutes.

Note about peanut oil:
Peanut oil is hard to track down but I´ve found it at Manni Mini. The trick to successful stir fry is to get the wok super hot and stir constantly. That´s why the best oil is peanut oil because it doesn´t break down and get smoky at that high heat.  

Note about fish sauce:
Can be bought at some Tesco´s and Thai´s. It´s often added as an additional condiment when served, alongside chili and maybe shrimp powder – from Thai´s.

Note about tamarind sauce:
You can buy bottled “Pad Thai” sauce and it´s largely tamarind and fish sauce. It´s much better of you use the real ingredients. I buy a chunk of tamarind, cut off a tbsps worth or two and “dissolve” it in boiling water for a few minutes. It doesn´t really dissolve, and you will need to strain the chunky fruit and use just the liquid. It imparts a sour and sweet flavor to the dish – you can´t have pad thai without it. But once you buy a chunk of the solid fruit, it will last a long time in the refrigerator. Pre-mix it with the other ingredients and leave it in a jar and you´ll be able to whip up pad thai in a flash.

Note about sugar:
Brown sugar here means “Třtinový cukr” or raw cane sugar, which is easy to find, unlike the “American-style” brown sugar with molasses added.

Note about soy sauce:
There are many soy sauces available locally and you probably have your favorite but I would avoid using Pearl River brand Chinese sauces, as they are too sticky and sweet (thanks to the added molasses.) A lighter one – Japanese Shoyu or Golden Boat Superior Light Soy Sauce is better. You can buy authentic Thai soy sauce at Thai´s Asian food shop.

Amazing Facts!

• Pad Thai without the peanuts is unthinkable – and I´ve seen a student version of the dish which is just ramen, peanut butter and soy sauce. But in Thailand the population is afraid of peanuts – and you should be too if you´re eating there. Tropical peanuts are prone to a highly carcinogenic kind of mold, so you won´t see people eating these wonderful nuts. Luckily, we don´t have that problem here, though, so load ‘em up.

• Pad Thai means Thai dish and is the national dish of Thailand. It was created in order to dissuade the Thais from eating nothing but rice, at a time when rice was a profitable export. So the king decided to encourage noodle eating, and this patriotic dish was launched. Now, we all love it.

Other recipes:

Soups:
Roasted Squash Soup with Apple and Brie by Bryan

Salads:
Autumn Pumpkin Potato Salad with Roasted Peppers by Pavel
Fennel salad by Přemek
New England Thanksgiving Warm Salad by Eva H.

Main Dishes:
Bohemian Mushroom Goulash with Herb Dumpling and Bacon by Miroslav Hanzal from Hilton’s CzecHouse Grill & Rotisserie
Chicken Madras Curry by Andy
Chicken Tagine with Dates and Honey by Dominic
Grilled Charlie by Jason
Pad Thai by Eva H.
Pork roll filled with ham, eggs, and sausages by Eva R.
Pumpkin Burger with honey and ginger dressing by Blue Chef from Belushi’s Bar & Restaurant
Ricotta Pie by Radka
Saffron risotto with St. Jacob’s Scallops by Petr Bureš from Bellevue
Sicilian style pizza by Brett
Spaghetti with bacon by Olga
“Staročeska Kuba” Mushroom Delicacy by Jan
Wild Boar Ragout with Bacon Dumpling by Marek Fichtner from Kempinski’s Le Grill

Desserts:
Beer Strudel by Veronika
Carrot Cake by Jan
Carrot Cupcakes by Olga
Tarte Tatin by Jan Pipal from Brasserie Délice at Sheraton Hotel
Wasps’ Nests by Pavlina