Ingredients for making Pad Thai (Thai Fried Noodles) include diced tofu and spring onions, crushed garlic, egg and lime.

 

 

Eve Turow for NPR

Ingredients for making Pad Thai (Thai Fried Noodles) include diced tofu and spring onions, crushed garlic, egg and lime.

 

A common favorite at home and in Thailand, this dish can be made several ways. This recipe is an adaption from the Thai Kitchen Cookery cookbook.

Makes 1 to 2 servings

2 tablespoons soybean oil

4 cloves purple garlic, crushed with skin still on

4 large shrimp, cleaned and peeled

1 1/2 ounces firm tofu, cut in 1/4 inch strips

1 large egg

2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus extra for condiment

1 teaspoon white sugar, plus extra for condiment

 

 

Eve Turow for NPR

 

1 cup warm water

5 ounces rice noodles, pre-soaked in warm water for 2 minutes

2 tablespoons ground peanuts

1 cup bean sprouts

2 spring onions, diced

1/4 lime

1/4 cup lime juice or rice vinegar

1/4 cup dried chili

Heat soybean oil in wok over medium heat. Add garlic and fry until fragrant. (If you cannot find purple garlic, use peeled common garlic). Add shrimp and fry until they turn pink, then add tofu. Crack egg into wok and immediately add fish sauce and sugar. Stir rapidly until scrambled. Once cooked, push ingredients to the side of the wok, holding in place with a spatula.

With your free hand, pour water into the wok and add the noodles, stirring until they become soft. Add the peanuts and bean sprouts, mixing everything together, releasing the mixture held to the side. Fry for another 20 seconds before adding the spring onion. Once the water has evaporated, turn the fire off and squeeze the 1/4 lime over the noodles and transfer to serving dish.

Prepare condiment dishes of fish sauce, sugar, lime juice or rice vinegar and dried chili to serve with the noodles.