Pad Thai Recipe, Fried Noodles Thai Style

There must be as many recipes for Pad Thai as there are cooks. This is a noodle dish you can adapt to whatever you have on hand. It is most often eaten in Thailand when going to the market as a quick snack or at a Thai festival but it is not really a dish Thais cook at home.

Pad Thai Noodles (Click to enlarge)

Ingredients

1 1/3 tablespoons light Thai soy sauce
2 teaspoons Thai black soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons, black pepper
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/3 tablespoons garlic powder
5 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4cup minced shallot
1 pound chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)
4 eggs
1 pound dried rice stick noodles (small size, approximately 1/8^th inch wide; soaked in cold water at least 3-4 hours, do not drain before using)
8 stalks green onion (cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths)
4 cups bean sprouts
1 tablespoon ground dried shrimp
1 tablespoon ground Thai chili (optional)
1/4 cup ground roasted peanut
1-2 limes (cut into wedges)

Preparation

Combine light soy sauce, black soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, vinegar, garlic powder, and fish sauce in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
Heat a non-stick wok (or frying pan) over high heat and add peanut oil, swirling to coat the entire surface. Heat oil for 1 minute and add shallots, stir-frying for 1 minute or until golden brown. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 8 minutes, or until fully cooked. Make a space in the middle of the wok (by pushing the chicken out to the sides) and add the eggs. Stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until the eggs are scrambled.
Add the rice noodles and the sauce mixture from step 1. Use chopsticks to stir the noodles and ingredients together. Get the spatula under the noodles, lift them up and flip them over (this will keep the noodles from breaking). Continue using the chopsticks and spatula, flipping and stirring the noodles for 6-8 minutes, or until they're soft.
Add the green onion and flip and stir for 2 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and add the ground dried shrimp. Sprinkle Thai chili on top (if desired), and serve hot with ground peanuts, fresh lime wedges, fresh bean sprouts, chives, or green onions.

Serves 6

Notes from Supatra: The best way to make Pad Thai is to use a non-stick wok or fry pan that's at least 12 inches in diameter. If using a smaller pan, make the dish in 2 batches (if the noodles are too crowded, they won't get evenly flavored). A pair of cooking chopsticks are highly recommended also.

Crying Tiger: Thai Recipes from the Heart

Recipe from 'Crying Tiger: Thai Recipes from the Heart' by Supatra Johnson.

This title is available in our cookbook section.