Pad Thai for the American Palate

This recipe was featured in my newsletter dated March 30, 2007.

Pad Thai for the American Palate

by Chip Desormeaux

The quintessential Thai dish. Pad Thai literally means "in the style of Thai cooking." I once heard it was the entrepreneurial Chinese who first developed this dish with the purpose of introducing Thai cooking to their country.

Some ingredients for Thai cuisine can be a little difficult to come by for the average American cook. Here I have developed my own Pad Thai, adapted for the American palate and pantry. (For a vegetarian variation, you can omit the shrimp.)

1# Thai bean thread
½ c. tamarind paste (see note at end)
2 tbs. diced ginger (see note at end)
1 tbs. chopped garlic
¾ c. roasted unsalted peanuts, ground to a coarse meal
1 red bell pepper, cut into long strips
3 Thai chilies, sliced long and narrow
½# medium shrimp
4 eggs
3 tbs. light soy sauce
1 tbs. fish sauce (completely optional!)
2-4 tbs. lime juice (see note at end)
2 c. fresh bean sprouts
1 bunch green onion, cut to 1" pcs.
fresh cilantro
1 lime cut into wedges

Click to view larger image.

Soak bean thread, at least one hour. Drain thoroughly just before adding to the pan (later in recipe) at which point they will completely soften and change color a little.

Combine tamarind paste with a ¼ c. warm water in a small bowl and let soak for at least 15 minutes. Mash the tamarind paste and water mixture and transfer mixture to a strainer; mash and push with a spoon, forcing liquid to strain into a bowl. Scrape off the juice that clings to the underside of the strainer. About 5 tbs. of tamarind juice. Add to it the fish sauce (or soy sauce) and lime juice; mix thoroughly and reserve. (See end note for option without tamarind juice.)

Fry garlic (and diced ginger) until fragrant. Then add peanuts, peppers and 3 Thai chilies. Then add shrimp and stir fry just until pink. Set aside in a small bowl. (Do NOT clean out the pan yet!)

Whip eggs with a couple tbs. water, some salt and white pepper. Cook egg over medium heat just until no longer runny but not browned. Break up into bits with spatula. Set aside in another bowl.

With heat on, add and stir in each of the following ingredients separately: shrimp and ginger/garlic mixture, the tamarind (or lime juice) mixture, the (drained) bean thread and the bean sprouts and green onions. Heat through and then add the eggs back in.

Serve, topped with cilantro and lime wedges.

Note: If you're not able to find tamarind paste, you can increase the amount of lime juice from 2 to 4 tbs. and add 2 tbs. minced ginger when stir frying the garlic, ginger and peanuts

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Pad Thai Recipe