Thai Pad Thai Noodles

Pad Thai Noodles

Recipe only

The food of Thailand is startlingly bold and imaginative. Carefully crafted to appeal to all senses, it combines beautiful presentation with fragrant aromas, contrasting yet complementing flavors and textures, and often fearsome chili-heat.
Although Thai food appears unique it is in fact one of the world’s great fusion cuisines. The country may never have been colonized, but Thai cooks certainly absorbed foreign influences. 

INGREDIENTS

150 g dried noodles (sen lek, rice noodles)

300 g raw large prawns

3 tablespoons tamarind puree

2 !/2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons palm sugar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3-4 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large eggs

85 g Chinese chives

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder

2 tablespoons dried shrimp, pounded in a pestle and mortar

3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

3 spring onions, cut on the angle

1 long fresh red chili, seeded and cut in fine long strips

Coriander leaves for garnish

Lime wedges to serve

METHOD

1. Soak the noodles in hot water for 1-2 minutes, until soft, drain well and set aside.

2. Peel and clean the prawns, then slit them down the backs to butterfly them, be careful not to cut to deep. Leave the tails in tacked.

3. Combine the tamarind with the fish sauce and palm sugar in a bowl.

4. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan and stir-fry the garlic over a medium heat until light brown. Add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

5. In the same wok or frying pan, add another 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the eggs and stir to scramble for 1 minute. Add the noodles and chives and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the fish sauce, tamarind mixture, chili powder, dried shrimp, and half of the peanuts, and stir for 10 seconds. Add the prawns back with the bean sprouts and spring onions. Taste to check the flavor and texture of the noodles.

6. Spoon into bowls or onto serving plates. Sprinkle the remaining peanuts on top. Garnish with some coriander leaves and the chili strips. Serve with the lime wedges on the side.