Thailand
Pad Thai
The stir-fried rice noodle that became a national dish
Pad Thai is surprisingly young: in the 1930s and 40s the Thai government promoted the dish as part of a campaign for national identity and to save rice – turning rice into noodles. The idea became Thai cuisine's most famous export.
The secret is balance: tamarind for sourness, palm sugar for sweetness, fish sauce for the salty-savoury depth. Only when all three are in harmony does it taste right.
Ingredients
- Flat rice noodles200 g
- Prawns or tofu200 g
- Egg2
- Tamarind paste2 tbsp
- Fish sauce2 tbsp
- Palm sugar1.5 tbsp
- Peanuts, spring onion, limeto serve
★ = available authentic in the Asia Boutique
Preparation
Soak the rice noodles in lukewarm water for 20–30 min, drain.
Stir tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar into a sauce.
Sear prawns or tofu in a hot wok, push aside, scramble in the egg.
Add the noodles and sauce, toss and fry until soft and glossy.
Toss with bean sprouts, serve with peanuts, spring onion and lime.
Make it original
Real tamarind paste and Thai fish sauce give Pad Thai its unmistakable sweet-sour profile. Available in the Asia Boutique.