Pad Thai
Yield: 4 servings
My Tanya’d-up version of a recipe I learned during my cooking lesson at the Chiang Mai Thai Farm Cooking School.
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. tamarind paste or white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar or palm sugar
- 1 Tbsp. fish sauce or soya sauce
- 1 tsp. molasses
- 3 Tbsp. ketchup
- 3 Tbsp. lime juice
- Pinch of chili pepper
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 1 (14 oz) package firm tofu, drained and cut into small cubes (or small pieces of chicken or pork)
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 8 oz dried rice noodles (soaked in water for about 30 minutes, or until soft, and drained)
- 4 Tbsp. crushed roasted peanuts
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, sliced
Make a seasoning by mixing together the stock, garlic, tamarind paste, sugar, fish sauce, molasses, ketchup, lime juice and chili pepper.
Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a wok, or high-sided frying pan, on low heat. Add the tofu and salt and fry for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown. Move the mixture to the side of the pan, scramble the eggs in the centre of the pan, and move them to the side to sit with the fried tofu. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and then the garlic, shallots, and carrots. Cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the seasoning mixture, bean sprouts, and noodles to the wok. Stir-fry the noodles over low heat until they are soft, then incorporate the egg and tofu.
Serve with crushed peanuts and lime slices on the side.