Pad Thai ผัดไทยกุ้งสด is a traditional Thai recipe for a classic stir-fry dish of noodles, tofu, beansprouts, Chinese chives and prawns in a hot and spicy base that's served garnished with banana flower and peanuts. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Thai version of: Pad Thai.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
This is the classic restaurant-style version of pad thai, made with fresh prawns. I also have another version of pad thai on this site, the street food version of pad thai, made as the street vendors of Bangkok prepare it.
Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with lukewarm water. Set aside to soak as you prepare the remaining ingredients — despite sounding simple, this is probably the trickiest part of preparing the entire dish, as you need to soak the noodles so that a little flexible, but remain solid and are not mushy (if in doubt, under-soak the noodles, you can always cook a little longer later).
Cut the tofu into julienne strips (3cm long matchsticks). Slice the Chinese chives into 3cm lengths (reserve a few for garnish). Rinse the beansprouts and set half aside. Mince together the shallot and the garlic.
Place a wok over high heat. When hot add the oil and use to fry the peanuts until toasted (take care not to burn them). Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the shallot and garlic mix to the wok with the preserved turnip and tofu. Stir-fry these ingredients until they begin to turn golden brown.
Drain the noodles and add to the wok. Stir-fry briskly to prevent the ingredients from sticking then add the tamarind paste with the fish sauce and chilli powder. Stir to combine then form a hole in the centre of the mixture and add the egg. Scramble the egg until almost cooked then fold the egg into the noodle mix. At this point the noodles should be soft and chewy. If they are too had add a little water and continue cooking until they are of the desired consistency.
At this point stir in the prawns and sprinkle over ground white pepper. Add the beansprouts and chives and stir-fry for about 1 minute more.
Mound the mixture onto a warmed serving plate and sprinkle over the toasted peanuts and a little more ground white pepper. Serve hot, accompanied by the sliced banana flower, a salad made by mixing together the remaining Chinese chives and raw beansprouts, along with nam pla prik, vinegar and dried and ground chillies.
Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.