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.

Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice)

Gallo Pinto

2 cups cooked black beans, including the liquid (1 15 oz. can)*
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons Salsa Lizano**
2-3 teaspoons salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 cup finely chopped cilantro stems and leaves
3 cups cooked, long-grain rice

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Add onion, pepper, and garlic and saute for a few minutes until soft.  Add the beans and Lizano sauce and cook for about 5 minutes more.  If making Gallo Pinto, add the rice now and cook a few minutes more until everything is well combined, then stir in cilantro and serve with tortillas, crema fresca or sour cream and Lizano sauce.

If making black beans for empanadas, mash about half the beans with a potato masher before stirring in the cilantro.

*To prepare dried black beans, soak 1 pound of beans in 6 cups of water overnight.  Drain the water, then pour beans, 6 cups water, 6 chopped garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, and 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems.  Cook on high for 3 hours or until beans are tender.
**If Salsa Lizano is not available, the easies substitute is Worcestershire sauce.  It's not the same, but it will work in a pinch.

Chicken Tikka Masala

 

One of my college roommates, Corey, introduced me to Chicken Tikka Masala at the Bombay House in Provo, Utah when I was a sophomore and I fell in love.  Paul and I lived just a block from the restaurant for the first couple of years of our marriage and we would often go there to share this dish when a recipe failed or when we were craving Indian food.  But after moving away I haven't been able to find any chicken tikka masala I like nearly as well as that served by Bombay House, and I've even tried it in Indian food meccas like Washington, D.C., London, New York and California.  After stumbling on some recipes that purported to be perfect Bombay House copycats (close, but they definitely weren't the same thing), I tweaked, combined, and worked out how to make my own version that - dare I say it? - rivals or even surpasses that of Bombay House.  For me, this is ultimate comfort food - rich, spicy (but not too spicy), and fresh.  And I like to double the batch so I have leftovers for Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza later in the week.

 

* As a note: I leave out the jalapeno altogether and use only 1 1/2 cups of the cream because I don't want my girls to balk at the spiciness. 

 

Chicken Tikka Masala (Bombay House Style)

Marinade

1 cup plain yogurt

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoons ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon garam masala

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

 

Sauce

 

1 tablespoon butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, minced (optional)

2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups canned tomato sauce

1 1/2 to 2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

              

Combine all marinade ingredients in a glass container. Add chicken pieces, cover with a tightly sealed lid, and toss to coat. Allow chicken to marinade for 1 hour.
               

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently. Add the jalapeno (if using), coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt and stir to combine. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.

 

Meanwhile, thread the chicken onto soaked skewers. Discard remaining marinade. Grill the chicken on a hot grill for 5 minutes on each side until the chicken is done. Remove the chicken from the skewers and keep warm.

 

Transfer the chicken to the simmering sauce and stir in the cream. Allow to simmer another 10 minutes or so until sauce thickens slightly. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with basmati rice and garlic naan.

Adapted from Mattawa Mum and I can't wait to try her Chicken Coconut Kurma!