Pad Thai

Unlike the other recipe I posted some time ago, this is intended to be an authentic Pad Thai. We really like it! You'll need to get tamarind and Thai chili powder from an Asian market, but the other ingredients should all be available at a normal grocery store. If your tamarind comes in a different form than concentrate, then please refer to the link at the bottom of this post for instructions on how to prepare various forms of tamarind. 

Begin by preparing sauce. Mix the following and heat together:

2 Tbsp. tamarind concentrate diluted in water to 1 cup

1 cup light soy sauce

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. Thai chili flakes 

Adjust to taste, bring to a boil, then remove from heat, and set aside. Prepare the following ingredients as follows:

Rice noodles: Bring water to a boil. Add 14 oz flat rice noodles (I use Thai Kitchen brand) and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes and then drain.

Garlic: Mince about 1 bulb of garlic

Tofu: Cube 1 pound tofu and bake on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with the above sauce. Let marinate for 15-30 minutes. Drain off the marinade to use when cooking the noodles below.

Green onions: Chop in 1 to 2 inch pieces. To be more authentic, you may want to use garlic chives, also called Chinese chives.

Bean sprouts 1 can or 2 cups fresh

Roasted, unsalted peanuts: Coarsely chop.

Prepare the Pad Thai in three batches. Heat about 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat in a wok or frying pan. Then add one-third of each of these ingredients you prepared:

minced garlic

rice noodles

1/3 cup sauce

1/2 cup water

Stir continuously and keep everything moving to keep the noodles from sticking together. If they want to stick together, add a little more oil. If the sauce evaporates too quickly and the noodles aren't cooked yet, add some more water. Keep cooking and stirring for a couple minutes until the noodles are done. Taste one to be sure it is cooked.

Then add a third of each of these ingredients you prepared:

tofu

green onions

bean sprouts

Continue cooking for a minute or two until the bean sprouts are done. Place on plate and start over with the next serving.

Serve with lime wedges (or have lime juice available) and roasted peanuts for garnish.

For more detailed instructions and variations, please refer to this website where I got the original idea from: http://chezpim.com/cook/pad_thai_for_beginners.