Pad thai

17/11/2023

Pad Thai is a classic Thai dish featuring stir-fried rice noodles with a variety of ingredients. Here’s a version we can “Italianize” a bit with ingredients that are usually more readily available in Italy:

Ingredients

200 g of rice noodles
200 g of chicken breast cut into strips (alternatively you can use shrimp or tofu for a vegetarian version)
2 eggs
2 cloves of minced garlic
Peanut oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 handful of bean sprouts
1 red chili pepper (optional, for those who like it spicy)
2 chopped green onions
100 g of roasted and chopped peanuts
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of fish sauce (or soy sauce as an alternative)
1 tablespoon of tamarind (if not available, you can use apple cider vinegar mixed with a little sugar)

Preparation

Soak the rice noodles in warm water for about 20-30 minutes or until they become soft, then drain them.
In a large pan or wok, heat some oil and fry the minced garlic until it turns golden.
Add the chopped chili pepper (if you’re using it) and the chicken. Cook until the chicken is well done.
Push the ingredients to the side of the pan and crack the eggs on the other side. Let them set a moment then mix with the other ingredients.
Add the noodles and bean sprouts and mix well.
Prepare the sauce by mixing lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Pour the sauce over the noodles and mix well to season everything.
Add the chopped green onions and a part of the chopped peanuts, stirring for a few more minutes.
Serve and garnish with the remaining chopped peanuts and a sprinkle of lime.

Curiosity

Pad Thai is a very versatile dish, and it can be customized according to taste. For instance, it is common to add tofu, shrimp, or other types of meat instead of chicken. This dish has won over palates all around the world thanks to its ability to balance sweet, salty, sour, and (sometimes) spicy flavors, as well as the varying textures of the ingredients.