Ambitious Delicious(ness)

Pad Thai, as you know, is quite a popular dish when it comes to Thai food. The spices in this dish is a melodious combination of tartness, sweetness, and saltiness. I’ve always wondered what ingredients went into making a delicious plate of pan fried noodle goodness. Have you?

I recall going into a Thai restaurant with my friend S about 5 years ago. Like any other smart New Yorker, she looked up a Thai place in Manhattan. We ordered Pad Thai there and I distinctly remember being disgusted at our noodles! We both swear that the major ingredient was ketchup. Major fail!

Interestingly, when I asked her if she remembered the name of the place, she said it was Topaz. I was so surprised because they have such good noodle dishes now! I never would have imagined that a place could turn themselves around like that. It’s a good lesson in not banning a restaurant forever based on one experience.

This was such a fun learning experience, as I discovered a new ingredient: tamarind. I bought a block of it and made it into a paste, though you can buy it in powder form as well. It was quite easy to do- just add 4 cups of boiling water, then let it cool to room temperature. Then mix it in a large bowl to loosen the tough parts, then run the liquid through a colander. You will have a paste in the end, that resembles ketchup. You can save the rest for next time.

Recipe: Shrimp Pad Thai
Makes 3 generous servings

Ingredients:

8 oz. of dry rice stick noodles
1 cup of mung bean sprouts
1/2 pound of fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 bunch of Chinese chives, sliced into strips
3 stalks of scallions, sliced into strips
1/4 cup of ground peanuts
3 tablespoons of tamarind paste
2 long red peppers, sliced into strips
3 teaspoons of palm sugar
2 teaspoons of fish sauce
2 teaspoons of paprika
2 large eggs
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 finely chopped shallot
1 lime
Wok (preferred, but I don’t have one and it was fine)

Procedure:

1. Place noodles in a bowl large enough to submerge the noodles completely. Place in lukewarm water for at least 45 minutes.

2. Make the sauce by combining tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar and paprika in a small pot over a low flame. Taste and adjust seasonings, depending on your preferences. (I added about 1/2 cup of water). Turn off heat and set aside.

3. Heat up a wok (or pan) on really high heat with some oil. Saute garlic and shallots together. Add chives, red pepper and scallions.

4. Add noodles to the pan. Stir in sauce.

5. Add shrimp until cooked through. Add half of bean sprouts (optional).

6. Create a well on the side and add eggs. Add ground peanuts. Mix together gently.

7. Remove from heat. Serve with a lime wedge and more bean sprouts.

Notes:

Noodles: I only soaked mine for 15 minutes due to fear of mushy noodles and that was a bad idea since I ended up having to cook it in the pan for an additional 20 minutes, causing my other ingredients to dry out.

Space: Make sure you have enough room in your pan for everything. Mine was overcrowded and hard to get everything to cook evenly.

Chives: Recently, I learned that Chinese chives are an essential ingredient in a traditional Pad Thai dish. The chives got really rough and gross after being in the pan for a while. I prefer not to use it again.