Pad Thai is considered Thailand’s staple dish and is well-loved by both locals and tourists.
Pad Thai is made from rice noodles along with other ingredients such as scrambled eggs, bean sprouts, tofu, and meats such as beef, chicken or shrimp. Other versions of Pad Thai are quite lean but most agree that the traditional way of preparing it is way better.
Origin and Cultural Significance
Pad Thai was created in 1930 by Plaek Phibunsongkhram in Thailand. Plaek was the prime minister at that time and he created such with the inspiration of their focus which was nation building.
It became a national dish when Thailand was experiencing a rice shortage during World War II. It was a recipe for survival where they would import rice noodles from the Chinese and stir-fry it with Thai seasonings. The government helped to promote the usage of noodles in cooking as a way to ease the reliance on rice and so it became a firm national favorite.
Years have passed and Pad Thai is already being introduced to the world and has had many variations. Still, its backbone remains the same: it is made of rice noodle, eggs, tofu, and fried shrimp which has a balanced taste of saltiness, sweetness, and sourness.
Thai Pad Thai Recipe
Ingredients
- Pad Thai Noodles (Dry) - 4 oz
- Shallot (Finely diced) - 1 large pc.
- Garlic (Chopped) - 4 cloves
- Ginger (Chopped) - 1 tsp
- Eggs - 2
- Tofu/Chicken/Prawns - 6-8 oz
- Peanut/Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp
- Lime - 1
- Salt and Pepper - to taste
- Fish Sauce - 3 tbsp
- Brown Sugar - 3 tbsp
- Rice Vinegar - 3 tbsp
- Soy Sauce - 1 tsp
Instructions
Preparation
- In a shallow pot, boil water and cook the noodles for 7-8 minutes until tender but not too soft.
- Finely chop the garlic, ginger and shallot and then set aside.
- Whisk two eggs in a bowl and add a generous amount of salt (about three finger pinches). Set aside.
- To make the Pad Thai sauce, whisk together the rice vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar.
For Chicken
- Slice the chicken into thin strips and season with salt
For Tofu
- Pat dry the tofu and then cut into ¾ inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. To add a little crisp, add a bit of cornstarch
For Shrimp
- Peel and clean the shrimp and then season it with salt and pepper
To cook
- In a wok, sear the chosen protein over medium-high heat until cooked. Set it aside on top of a paper towel.
- Using the same wok, heat up three tablespoons of peanut oil over medium heat then cook the chopped garlic, ginger, and shallot until golden.
- Scoot the garlic-ginger-shallot mixture on the sides of the wok to make a well then add the whisked eggs at the center. Scramble the egg just a little before incorporating it to the shallot mixture and make sure to break them into pieces.
- Fry the drained noodles together with the egg mixture for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the Pad Thai sauce and cook it for one minute. It will smell at first but it will incorporate nicely.
- Add the chosen protein (chicken/tofu/shrimp) and incorporate it together until the noodles become soft but still chewy.
- Add in the roasted peanuts, bean sprouts, scallions and chili flakes. Squeeze in a little lime juice and a pinch of salt depending on preference.
- Garnish the Pad Thai however you want and serve hot!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 484Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 277mgSodium: 2711mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 4gSugar: 22gProtein: 32g