Thai-Style Stir-Fried Noodles - {pad Thai}

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Title: Thai-Style Stir-Fried Noodles - {pad Thai}
Categories: thai, side dish
Yield: 2 servings

1/4 lb dried 1/4"-wide gkuay dtiow
-or rice
noodles
(also known as ban pho to
-the Vietn
2 tb peanut oil - (to 3 tbspns);
-for stir-frying
3 garlic cloves - (to 4);
-finely chopped
2 shallots; thinly sliced
(or substitute with half a
-small on
1/4 lb fresh small shrimps;
-shelled, butterflied
(or use a combination of
-half shrim
half pork meat, cut thin
-matchstick
1/2 c firm pressed tofu; cut into
-strips
about 1" long, 1/2" wide and
- 1/4" t
2 tb small dried shrimps - (to 3
-tbspns)
2 tb chopped sweetened-salted
-radish; (to 3 tbspns)
1 ts dried red hot pepper flakes
-- (to 2; to taste
2 eggs
2 tb fish sauce (nahm bplah); to
-taste
1 tb white vinegar
2 tb granulated sugar - (to 3
-tbspns); to taste
1/4 c chopped unsalted roasted
-peanuts
1 c fresh bean sprouts
1/2 c garlic chives in 1 1/2"-long
- segmen; (optional)
=== GARNISH ===
1/2 c fresh bean sprouts - (to 1
-cup)
1 lime; cut into 6 wedges
1/4 c coarsely-chopped roasted
-peanuts
A few cilantro sprigs
2 green onion stems; cut 3"
-segments

Soak the dried rice noodles in tap water for about 40 minutes to 1 hour, or
until the noodles are limp but still firm. While the noodles are soaking,
prepare the rest of the ingredients for the stir-fry.

When ready to make your pad thai, drain the soaked noodles and heat a wok
over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add the oil and swirl to coat the
wok surface. Allow the oil to heat up. When hot, toss in the chopped
garlic and sliced shallots (or onion) and sauté 10 to 15 seconds. Add the
pork (if using), stir, cook a few seconds, then add the tofu. Sauté
another 10 to 15 seconds and follow with the shrimps. Stir. Then add the
dried shrimps, chopped sweetened-salted radish and hot pepper flakes. Stir
and mix well.

Toss in the noodles and stir-fry with the ingredients already in the wok.
After one to two minutes, or when the noodles begin to change texture and
soften, push the mass up along the side of the wok, add a teaspoon of oil
to the cleared area and allow to heat up a few seconds. Crack the eggs
into the oiled area, using the edge of the spatula to break the yolks.
Allow the eggs to set, turning them over as needed until they are cooked.
Avoid scrambling. When the eggs are set, cut with the spatula into small
chunks and toss in with the noodles.

Sprinkle fish sauce and sugar over the noodles. Mix well, then add the
vinegar and continue to stir-fry. If the noodles feel dry and still too
firm to your liking, sprinkle a tablespoon or two of water over them. Add
the chopped roasted peanuts, stir, then toss in the bean sprouts and
chives. Stir well and cook until the vegetables are partially wilted.
Taste and adjust flavors to the desired salty-sweet combination.

Transfer noodles onto a serving platter, or dish onto individual dinner
plates. Serve with raw bean sprouts, lime wedges, extra chopped peanuts,
cilantro and green onions. Before eating, squeeze lime juice over each
serving. Serve while still warm.

As a one-dish meal for breakfast or lunch, this recipe makes enough for 2
to 4 servings.

Notes and Pointers:

Pad Thai and noodle dishes do not lie at the heart of Thai cuisine -- they
are fast food like hamburgers and hot dogs in the west. Pad Thai, in fact,
is not the Thai people's favorite noodled dish.

You might be interested to know that there are as many ways to make pad
thai noodles as there are cooks, geographical regions and moods. Instead
of vinegar and granulated sugar, for one instance, other sources of sour
and sweet may be used, such as tamarind and palm sugar. In Thailand many
noodle shops and restaurants use light soy sauce instead of fish sauce;
sweetened black soy sauce in combination with sugar; or usually ground
dried chiles made from darkly roasted whole chiles. American restaurants
frequently use ketchup in their pad Thai.

If you prefer softer noodles, soak dried noodles in hot water. However,
with some brands of noodles, this may result in soggy pad thai. If you
prefer your noodles al dente, it is preferable to soak in cool tap water,
adding liquid to the stir-fry as needed to cook to the desired texture.

The pad thai served in many American Thai restaurants is liberally flavored
with ketchup. Use this ingredient if you wish as some cookbooks advise,
though it is the exception rather than the rule in Thailand. Some noodle
shops use black soy (the semi-sweet kind) in their pad thai; others use the
orange chilli sauce called prik Sriracha. Textures and oiliness can vary,
too, so play around with the recipe to get the combination of flavors and
textures you prefer. Add your own touches to create your own version.

Source:
"Adventures in Thai Cooking and Travel with Kasma Loha-unchit at
http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com"
S(Formatted for MC5):
"03-14-2000 by Joe Comiskey - jcomiskey@krypto.net"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 92 Calories; 5g Fat (47.0% calories
from fat); 7g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 212mg
Cholesterol; 72mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit;
1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : This recipe can be found on pages 206 to 207 of "It Rains Fishes:
Legends,Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking", by Kasma Loha-unchit.
Published by Pomegranate Artbooks, 1995

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Contributor: Kasma Loha-unchit

Preparation Time: 0:00

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