Meinj's Favorite Pad Thai
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lime
- 1 egg
- 4 teaspoons fish sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dried chili pepper
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1 shallot (chive), minced
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon tamarind sauce or reserve (packaged)
- 1/2 package Thai rice noodles
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1-1/2 cup Chinese chives - green Optional
- 2 tablespoons peanuts Optional
- 1-1/3 cup bean sprouts Optional
- 1/2-1/4 lb shrimp Optional
- 1/3 cup tofu - extra firm Optional
- A few springs Thai/Chinese Basil
Tags:
- pad thai
- sweet
- vegetarian
Instructions:
Soak the dry noodles in lukewarm water while preparing the other ingredients, for about 5-10 minutes.
Thinly slice tofu and cut into 1 inch long matchsticks. When cut, the extra firm tofu should have a mozzarella cheese consistency.
Cut up Chinese chives into 1 inch long pieces. Set aside a few fresh chives for a garnish.
Rinse the bean sprouts and save half for serving fresh. Mince shallot and garlic together.
Use a wok. If you do not have a wok, any big pot will do. Heat it up on high heat and pour oil in the wok. Carefully fry the peanuts until toasted and remove them from the wok.
Add shallot, garlic and tofu and stir them until they start to brown.
The noodles should be flexible but not expanded at this point. Drain the noodles and add to the wok. Stir quickly to keep things from sticking. Add tamarind, sugar, fish sauce, chili pepper and preserved turnip. Stir. The heat should remain high. If your wok is not hot enough, you will see a lot of juice in the wok at this point. Turn up the heat, if it is the case.
Make room for the egg by pushing all noodles to the side of the wok. Crack the egg onto the wok and scramble it until it is almost all cooked. Fold the egg into the noodles. Add shrimp and stir.
Add bean sprouts, chives. Stir a few more times. The noodles should be soft and very tangled.
Pour onto the serving plate and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve hot with the banana flower slice and a wedge of lime on the side and raw Chinese chives and raw bean sprouts on top.
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