Thai street food staple Pad Thai is probably the most popular dish at your neighborhood Thai restaurant. In actuality, Thailand’s national dish is this widely consumed stir-fried noodle dish. Bold, umami flavors and a variety of textures turn Pad Thai into a comforting dish that everyone can enjoy, but what exactly is it about it that makes it so delicious? Lets take a closer look at this beloved Thai dish.
How to Make Pad Thai:
Noodle cooking: Follow the directions on the package to cook the noodles just until tender. Rinse under cold water.
Make the sauce by combining the following ingredients: fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar (or tamarind paste), Sriracha, and any optional peanut butter. Set aside.
Protein Sauté: In a large saucepan, heat 1 12 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, chicken or tofu, garlic and bell pepper. Cook until meat is done.
Cook Eggs: Push everything to the side of the pan. Add a little more oil and add the beaten eggs. The eggs should be scrambled, breaking them up as they cook with a spatula.
Noodles, sauce, bean sprouts, and peanuts are added to the pan; toss everything together (reserving some peanuts for a final topping). Toss everything to combine.
Add extra cilantro, lime wedges, extra peanuts, and green onions as garnish. Serve immediately!.
A Note about Pad Thai Sauce:
Traditional pad thai sauce contains tamarind paste, fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Since rice vinegar can easily be substituted for tamarind paste, I did so. In this recipe, replace the rice vinegar with about 2 Tablespoons of tamarind paste if you prefer. In order to give the dish an extra creaminess and flavorful boost that I love, I also added a generous amount of peanut butter to my sauce.
Why I love this recipe:
Rice noodles, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, peanuts, a scrambled egg, and bean sprouts are all combined to make the stir-fry dish known as Pad Thai. The ingredients are wok sautéed with a delicious Pad Thai sauce added. It is a typical street food in Thailand and one of the most well-liked dishes on the menus of Thai restaurants all over the nation.
To make vegan or vegetarian pad Thai, omit the egg and add more soy sauce in place of the fish sauce.
FAQ
Are Pad Thai noodles healthy?
Due to its high calorie content and predominance of carbs from the noodles and fats from the peanuts, Pad Thai is a very unhealthy dish that is not recommended for losing weight. Up to 838 calories, 45 grams of fat, 46 grams of carbohydrates, and 64 grams of protein can be found in a serving of pad thai on average.
Are Pad Thai noodles wheat or rice?
However, the traditional Pad Thai noodles recipe uses soy sauce and fish sauce, which may contain wheat, making the dish unsuitable for those with nut and gluten allergies. Pad Thai noodles are made of rice and tapioca flour, which naturally makes the noodle flour gluten-free and vegan.
Are Pad Thai noodles made from brown rice?
Medium-width noodles made from flour ground from organic brown rice are called organic brown rice pad Thai noodles. The texture of the noodles is chewy and toothsome, and they readily take on the flavors of whatever they are cooked with.
Is Thai Pad Thai healthy?
Despite the generally healthy ingredients in pad Thai, the calories can still add up quickly. A typical pad Thai has 400 calories, 17 grams of fat, and a ton of sodium in just one cup. I always order an additional serving of steamed vegetables with mine to mix in as a counterbalance. ”.
