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Answers: This has to be my favourite dish. It has everything- hot, sweet, salty, sour...

...the best dish around. YUM!!

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Here are a few of my favorite variations:

Pad Thai

8 ounces dried rice noodle sticks
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 pound peeled and de-veined raw shrimp, halved lengthwise
1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 large eggs
2 cups bean sprouts
2 cups sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

In a large bowl, combine the noodles with water to cover. Soak until just tender, about 45 minutes, then drain.
In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Season the shrimp and pork with cayenne.

In a wok or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and pork and cook until the shrimp are just cooked through and the pork is brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add the eggs and cook, stirring, until just set, about 45 seconds. Add the sprouts, onions, fish sauce mixture, and noodles, and cook, stirring, until warmed through. Add the shrimp and pork, and peanuts, and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving platter and toss with the cilantro and lime juice. Serve immediately.

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Shrimp and Vegetable Pad Thai

7 ounces medium rice stick noodles
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons palm sugar or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate, optional
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons peanut oil
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup diced firm tofu
1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 large carrots, cut into matchstick-sized strips
1/2 cup matchstick-sized red bell pepper strips
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup diagonally sliced green onions
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Sriracha (Thai hot sauce), for serving


Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water. Allow noodles to soak for 5 minutes, drain, and rinse with cold, running water for 30 seconds. Drain well and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, red pepper, coconut milk, and if desired, the tamarind concentrate, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Heat the sesame and peanut oils in a wok or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Just before the oil is smoking, add the shrimp and cook until pink, stirring constantly. Add the tofu, mushrooms, bean sprouts, carrots, red bell pepper, garlic, and reserved noodles, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Pour the sauce mixture into the wok and toss until combined. Cook until the mixture is steaming and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the peanuts and green onions and cook an additional 30 seconds.

Remove the wok from the heat and season with the lime juice and cilantro. Serve hot with Sriracha, if desired
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Grilled Tofu and Chicken Pad Thai

8 ounces extra-firm tofu
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
2 tablespoons peanut oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1/4 cup tamarind paste, reconstituted in 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 pound Thai rice noodles, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
4 ounces bean sprouts
1/4 cup cashews, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 limes, halved and grilled


Heat grill to high. Brush both sides of tofu and chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the tofu on each side for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly charred, remove, and cut into thin slices. Grill the chicken for 4 minutes per side or until slightly charred and just cooked through, remove, and cut into thin slices.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan on the grates of the grill or side burner on the grill. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft. Add the ancho powder and cook for 10 seconds. Add the tamarind mixture, vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar, and peanut butter and bring to a boil.

Place the cooked noodles, tofu, and chicken in a large bowl. Pour the boiling sauce over the noodles and toss gently until until combined. Fold in the green onion, cilantro, and bean sprouts and top with the chopped nuts. Serve with grilled limes on the side.
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Shrimp Pad Thai

Sauce 1:
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons tamarind paste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup palm sugar
1 teaspoon salt

To make Sauce 1: In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce slightly and set aside to cool. Reserve.

Sauce 2:
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced Thai green chiles
1 tablespoon minced cilantro leaves

To make Sauce 2: In a small non-reactive bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir until well blended. Reserve.

4 ounces rice noodles, linguini size
1 quart cold water
Oil, for deep-frying
2 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon milk plus salt, to taste
1 ounce peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon minced lemongrass
1 teaspoon minced green chiles
1 teaspoon chopped shallots
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
5 large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Julienne green onions
1 wedge lime

Soak the rice noodles in cold water until softened. (This can be done several hours ahead of time.) Strain and reserve until needed.
Heat oil in a medium sauepan. Deep-fry the diced tofu until crisp and golden. Drain in a paper towel and set aside to cool. Reserve. Add the peanuts and fry for 30 seconds. Remove and set aside with the tofu.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter. Cook the scrambled egg and milk mixture to a medium consistency. Season with salt. Place in a plate and allow to cool. Chop coarsely and set aside until needed.

In a wok, over high heat, add the peanut oil. When almost smoking, stir-fry the lemongrass, green chiles, shallots, ginger, kafir lime, cilantro, and shrimp for 1 minute or until shrimp change color. Add the softened noodles, half of the bean sprouts, fried tofu, scrambled eggs, Sauce 1 and Sauce 2. Continue to stir-fry until noodles have flattened and blended with the sauce.

Transfer Pad Thai to serving plate. Top with the remaining bean sprouts, cilantro, green onions and chopped peanuts. Serve a wedge of lime on the side.

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Stir-Fried Thai Noodles: Pad Thai

8 ounces dried wide rice noodles
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
3 tablespoons tamarind juice
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled with tails on
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, sliced
1 fresh red chile, sliced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
1 lime, cut into small wedges
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves


Soak the dried rice noodles in cool or lukewarm water for 30 minutes, or until they're limp but still firm to the touch; later cooking in the wok will soften them more. Drain the noodles thoroughly in a colander and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.
In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, tamarind juice, and sugar; stir well to melt the sugar. Taste and adjust flavors to the desired combination of salty, sour, and sweet.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat until it is smoking hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and quickly stir-fry the shrimp until they turn pink and are almost cooked through; 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining oil to the wok and toss in the garlic, shallots, and chile; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Push the garlic and shallots to 1 side of the wok and pour the egg into the center. Scramble the egg lightly until set, breaking it up into pieces with a spatula. Add the drained noodles to the wok, stirring and tossing quickly with 2 spatulas to separate the strands. Pour in the fish sauce mixture, tossing well to coat the noodles and keep them from sticking (if the noodles are still too firm, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to help them cook.)

When the noodles are in good shape, toss in 1/2 of the bean sprouts and peanuts; save the remaining for garnish. Continue to stir-fry, to combine. Return the shrimp to the wok and toss the pad thai together to warm everything through. Serve the pad thai on a platter, pile the remaining bean sprouts and peanuts on 1 side of the dish and garnish with the lime wedges and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice over each portion before eating.

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Pad Thai with Chicken and Shrimp


1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon Asian chili paste, such as sambal oelek
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 cup julienned mixed vegetables (carrots, yellow squash, zucchini)
4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, sliced into strips
12 medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 pound medium-wide rice noodles, soaked in warm water until softened and drained
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Chopped Romaine lettuce, for garnish
Mung bean sprouts, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Chopped peanuts, for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, peanut butter, and chili paste until smooth.
Heat a large wok over medium-high heat, and add canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger and let cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the vegetables, chicken, and shrimp, and stir-fry until chicken and shrimp are browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add noodles and toss to coat.

Add peanut/spice paste, brown sugar and cider vinegar and toss to distribute. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Spread chopped romaine on a platter. Serve pad Thai on top of lettuce and garnish with mung bean sprouts, lime, cilantro and chopped peanuts.


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Phuket Pad Thai

For this recipe, you need:

* Thai rice noodles
* 3 Tbsp. each of: fish sauce, rice vinegar (or white vinegar), and soy sauce
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1-2 red chillies (2 makes this dish very spicy), minced
* 1 tsp. brown sugar
* 1/4 cup chicken broth
* 8-12 medium or large fresh raw prawns
* optional: 1/2 to 1 cup cooked chicken, and/or 1 cup tofu, cut into cubes
* 1 egg
* approximately 2 cups bean sprouts
* 1/2 cup each of fresh coriander and fresh basil
* 1 lime, cut into wedges
* canola oil, or other good-quality oil for stir-frying
* optional: 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, ground or roughly chopped
* optional: shrimp-flavored crushed chilli

1. Soften the Noodles.
2. Mix the Stir-Fry Sauce in a Cup.
3. Stir-Fry Garlic and Chillies.
4. Add the Prawns (plus chicken and tofu) and Stir-Fry
5. Add the Egg.
6. Add the noodles.
7. Add the Stir-Fry Sauce.
8. Stir-fry the Noodles.
9. Add the Beansprouts.
10. Plate the Pad Thai, Add Toppings, and Enjoy!

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PHAD THAI

1/2 lb. dried rice noodles, 1/8" wide
Warm water
1/2 lb. shrimp or chicken or pork
1/4 c. fish sauce
1/4 c. & 2 tbsp. sugar
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/4 c. & 2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. paprika
4 slivered green onions
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
3/4 lb. bean sprouts
2 tbsp. ground roast chili
3/4 c. ground roasted peanuts (peanuts finely chopped)
Lime wedges

Soak noodles 30 minutes until pliable and drain (sometimes it takes longer). Mix sauce (sugar, vinegar, paprika and fish sauce). Set aside. Heat wok, stir fry meat, add noodles. Add garlic and sauce. Tuck eggs under noodles and add oil as needed. Add sprouts and garnish with green onions, peanuts and lime wedges.

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....
10mins of getting dressed
10-30 mins driving to thai rest.
10-20 mins of ordering and waiting
10-30 mins get home
Eat
be happy
=3

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here it is..

A Pad Thai Worth Making

"The wonderful national noodle dish of Thailand, it is now served in many trendy restaurants. It can be adjusted to your taste, add ingredients that you like and make it as spicy or tart as you want to. It is also great as a basis for a stir fry of leftovers. This is a recipe for those who like it HOT, if you can't handle the heat, go easy on the chile sauce."

INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package dried flat rice noodles
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian chile pepper sauce, divided
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
8 ounces medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups bean sprouts
6 green onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
2 cups bean sprouts

DIRECTIONS
Fill a large bowl with hot tap water and place the noodles in it to soak for 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of the chile sauce and chicken stock. Set aside.
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, stir in garlic and cook for about 10 seconds. Add shrimp and chicken; cook, stirring constantly until shrimp is opaque and chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
Move everything in the wok out to the sides and pour the eggs in the center. Cook and stir the eggs until firm. Add the noodles to the wok and pour in the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles are tender. Add a bit more water if needed to finish cooking the noodles. Stir in 3 cups of bean sprouts and green onions. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped peanuts. Taste for seasoning, adjusting the spice or lime juice if needed.
Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and remaining bean sprouts and lime wedges on the side.

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