Prawn Pad Thai

My love of Thai food started with Pad Thai, Its one dish that I cannot get overJ. I love all variations of Pad Thai dishes; mainly chicken, prawn or pork. I  am obsessed with this amazing Thai  noodle dish and spend more than an ungodly amount of money on take outs. So finally I have decided to re-create this popular Pad Thai dish at home with fresh prawns from local fish market.

The secret to good Pad Thai dish is in the sauce, tamarind concentrate and palm sugar are the main ingredients for Pad Thai sauce. You can buy these in any Asian food market. I have used rice sticks for this recipe, because it does not become too sticky, tip is to soak this noodles for 25 mins in cold water.  It will turn out wonderfully soft and razor thin, perfect for the stir frying. I hope you will enjoy preparing my variation of Pad Thai dish and develop a special appetite for Thai cooking.

 Ingredients

For Sauce:

2 tablespoon tamarind paste

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons palm sugar 

½ teaspoons of red chili powder; or to taste

Directions

To make pad Thai sauce, heat a small pan on medium low and add fish sauce, palm and tamarind concentrate, and garlic. Cook sauce until palm sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

Ingredients

Noodles

Rice sticks noodles – 1 packet (250g) 

2 tablespoon olive oil

teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

10-15 prawns cleaned.

2 eggs, lightly beaten with the 1 table spoon sesame oil

¼ cup of red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup of mung bean sprouts

1 cup of carrots, match sticks

¼ cup of green onion cut diagonal in ½ inch segments

¼ cup of cilantro

1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts (optional) 

3 tablespoons chopped coriander

1 lime, cut into wedges

chili flakes

Directions

1 Soak the noodles in cold water for about 25 minutes or when soft.

2. Drain the noodles. Heat the wok, and then add the oil and heat until almost smoking. Add the garlic and ginger; stir for a few minutes.

3. Add the prawns stir for 3-4 minutes and remove and keep aside.

4. Add the chives, onions, carrots, stir-fry for a few minutes.

5. Add the noodles and stir-fry for 2 minute, add the sauce, little at the time

6. When the noodles are covered with sauce, push them to one side of the wok and scramble the eggs and sesame oil mixture. 

7. Add the prawns, peanuts and bean sprouts. Mix, place in serving bowl or individual plates.

8. Garnish with the coriander and lime wedges

Notice: I will be on vacation for next two weeks and will not be able to update the blog. I am wishing all my blog friends a Merry X-Mas and Happy New Year 2011. I will check all your lovely blogs when I return, until then keep on cooking J