Serves: 2
For our current round of Come Dine With Us (CDWU) meetings, we are continuing to cook national dishes from continents randomly allocated to each of our group members. This month, we move on from Australasia to Thailand.
Listed at number 5 on the CNN readers' poll of the "World's 50 most delicious foods," Pad Thai is a firm restaurant and fast-food favorite. It hasn't been around as long as you might think, though, having been created in the 1930s—possibly by Chinese immigrants in Thailand. It was even used by the Thai government in 2001 as a form of 'soft power' when they established the "Global Thai Restaurant Company" in an effort to seed at least 3,000 new Thai restaurants worldwide.
Ingredients
Prepare all items in advance, ready for fast stir-frying at the end.
- Shrimp/Prawns: 8oz (225g), fresh or thawed frozen (peeled, de-veined, and patted dry)
- Rice Noodles: 4oz (115g)—alternatively, Ramen noodles
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Oil: 4 tbsp olive or vegetable oil for frying
- Eggs: 3 large
- Bean Sprouts: ½ cup (canned or other veggies like bell peppers may be used)
- Carrots: ½ cup, grated or cut into thin strips
- Spring Onions: 2 large, finely chopped
- Peanuts: ¼ cup, finely chopped or crushed
- Coriander: ½ cup, chopped
- Lime: Wedges for serving
The Sauce
- 1½ tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp Ground Chilli Sauce (Sriracha or Garlic Chili sauce work great)
- 1 tbsp Honey (plus 1-2 tsp to taste) or alternatively Palm Sugar
- 2 tbsp Water
Method
- Prepare Noodles & Sauce: Cook the rice noodles according to instructions on the package. Drain, rinse under cool water, and drain again. In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients (modify the honey or chili sauce to taste).
- Sauté Seafood: Wok or large non-stick pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the shrimp/prawns until pink and "C" shaped (about 2 minutes). Note: Perfectly cooked prawns form a "C" shape; overcooked prawns curl tightly into an "O" shape.
- Toss: Quickly add the garlic and noodles. Stir to completely coat the noodles and shrimp with the garlic flavor.
- Scramble the Eggs: Push the contents of the wok to one side. Quickly break the 3 eggs into the empty side of the pan and scramble them for 30 seconds. As the egg starts to set, stir the noodles over the eggs and mix well, then pour in the sauce.
- Add Veggies: Add the bean sprouts, carrots, and spring onions. Stir-fry for about one more minute until everything is heated through but the vegetables retain their crunch.
- Garnish & Serve: Sprinkle with the crushed peanuts and fresh coriander. Serve immediately accompanied by fresh lime wedges. ENJOY!