Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Pad Thai



This week we bring to you a staple of Thai cuisine: Pad Thai.

Although there are many variations, the dish generally uses rice noodles, bean sprouts, and some sort of protein like tofu, shrimp, or chicken. The sauce is salty and sweet due to flavors from tamarind paste, soy sauce, and sugar. It's then topped with crushed peanuts, lime wedges, and basil.



Dan's Version and Comments









Yesterday I got my feet massaged by a Vietnamese woman, I told her I recently cooked Pad Thai from scratch. She responded by saying I should marry her niece who still lives in Vietnam. Therefore, if you cook this dish you'll end up possibly becoming engaged to a nice Vietnamese girl.

In all seriousness, this dish was awesome. My advice it to pre-soak the rice noodles in ice cold water and then quickly dip them in boiling water. They will continue to cook in the wok with the vegetables and chicken. I also added tofu, yum. 

For an added kick, mix in some Sriracha or add in some chili flakes. Aside from the heat profile, this dish was near perfect.

Mo's Version and Comments

























Yum yum yum. It's a bit confusing learning to make this dish at first but actually quite simple. Cut up ingredients, make sauce. Saute sequentially, add sauce. Garnish with peanuts and limes. This is a cheap dish that can serve a ton of people and hearty enough to satisfy both meat eating and vegetarian company. 

Some things to keep in mind: 
-Don't skip the step with the tamarind paste. This adds a unique tang and gives your Pad Thai the restaurant quality versus made-from-home taste. It's only a few bucks at your local Asian store and will last a long time.
-Julienned carrots would be awesome here
-Boil your rice noodles according to the directions on the back of the bag. No need to let sit in warm water for 30 mins.
-Cut your limes in wedges, not slices. This makes it easier for people to grab and squeeze over their noodles. 
-Feel free to sub tofu for chicken or shrimp

Next week: Falafels! 

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