Pad Thai

Pad Thai is one of our favorite takeout foods, but unfortunately good Pad Thai can be hard to come by.  Too often it is too greasy or heavy or bland.  So I decided to learn how to make it at home.  The first time I made this I combined a number of different recipes and got the balance of ingredients a little bit off - too many noodles, not enough eggs or sauce.  So I have made adjustments below to account for those shortcomings.  It looks intimidating and while there are quite a few steps, the biggest part of the meal is just getting everything cut ahead of time so that when it comes to actual cooking time things go fast and smooth.  I found the tamarind paste at my local Asian market but you could even just order it on Amazon if you are worried about tracking some down. 

Pad Thai

Sauce

1/4 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons tamarind paste
4 tablespoons fish sauce
4 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Noodles, Shrimp, and Garnish

8 ounces dried rice stick noodles, 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Table salt
1 medium shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons chopped Thai salted preserved radish (optional)
3 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage (mostly just for the pop of color)
1/4 cup plus 2-3 tablespoons scallions, green parts only, sliced thin on the bias
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Lime wedges, for serving

FOR THE SAUCE:  Combine the water and tamarind paste in a small bowl and let sit until the tamarind is softened and mushy, 10 to 30 minutes.  Mash the tamarind to break it up, then push it through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl to remove the seeds and fibers and extract as much pulp as possible.  Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and set aside.

FOR THE NOODLES, SHRIMP, AND GARNISH:  Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot.  Remove the boiling water from the heat, add the rice noodles, and let sit, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain the noodles and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking.  Add the shrimp, sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and cook without stirring until bright pink about 1 minute.  Stir the shrimp and continue to cook until cooked through, 15 to 30 seconds longer.  Transfer the shrimp to a clean bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining oil to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering.  Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir in the eggs and water and cook, stirring constantly, until scrambled and barely moist, about 20 seconds.

Add the noodles and the salted radish (if using) to the eggs and toss to combine.  Add the sauce, increase the heat to high, and cook, tossing constantly, until the noodles are evenly coated, about 1 minute.

Add the cooked shrimp, bean sprouts, 1/4 cup of peanuts, purple cabbage and all but 1/4 cup of the scallions and continue to cook, tossing constantly, until the noodles are tender, about 2 1/2 minutes.  (If not yet tender add 2 tablespoons water to the skillet and continue to cook until tender.)  Transfer the noodles to a serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup peanuts, remaining 1/4 cup scallions, and cilantro an serve with lime wedges.