Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a popular spicy shrimp noodle dish in Thailand and around the world.
 

Ingredients:

12 ounces rice noodles
10 cloves garlic
2 large shallots
1 medium chili pepper, thin red
1/2 cup peanuts roasted and unsalted
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
3 large eggs
1 pound shrimp, jumbo uncooked frozen, pre-peeled and cleaned
3 tablespoons oil, divided
2 cups bean sprouts, picked over and rinsed
4 medium scallions, trimmed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 lime, cut into wedges
red pepper flakes
1/4 cup cilantro, washed and dried

Directions:

Prepare all ingredients for cooking.
Cook rice noodles according to the package directions, approximately 4-6 minutes. Drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set colander aside.

Mince shallots and garlic, and place in a bowl. Slit red chili and using a spoon to seed it. Cut the chili into small pieces and place in the bowl with shallots and garlic.

Mix fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Lightly beat eggs in another bowl. Place peanuts in a plastic bag and gently crush with a rolling pin, place crushed peanuts into a bowl. Place bean sprouts, scallions, and cilantro in separate bowls.

Defrost shrimp under cold running water according to the package directions, approximately 5 minutes. Remove tails and cut each shrimp in half.

In a skillet heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat, cook eggs for a minute or so until they are set but not browned, remove eggs and place in a bowl.

Heat remaining oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the shallots, garlic, and chopped chili pepper. Stir-fry for a minute, add the shrimp, and raise the heat to medium-high. Stir-fry for about 3 or 4 minutes, shrimp will turn pink and almost cooked through, do not overcook the shrimp. Remove shrimp and vegetables to a bowl.

Quickly rinse the cooked noodles again and drain. Add the rice noodles and 3/4 of the sauce to the empty pot still on medium-high heat. Toss these around to heat. Add bean sprouts and scallions to the rice noodle pot. Cook for a few minutes, tossing often. When the noodles and veggies are hot add the shrimp, cooked eggs and the rest of the sauce, and stir.

Serve the shrimp-noodle dish with a squeeze of lime and sprinkled with the peanuts, red pepper flakes, and cilantro.
 

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander. It is normally served with a piece of lime, the juice of which can be added along with Thai condiments. In Thailand, it is also served with a piece of banana flower.

Two different styles of Pad Thai have evolved: the version most often found in the streets of Thailand, which is relatively dry and light, and the version that seems dominant in many restaurants in the West, which is heavier and may be covered in red oil.

Though the dish had been known in various forms for centuries – it is thought to have been brought to the ancient Thai capital of Ayuthaya by Vietnamese traders – it was first made popular as a national dish by Luang Phibunsongkhram when he was prime minister during the 1930s and 1940s, partly as an element of his campaign for Thai nationalism and centralization, and partly for a campaign to reduce rice consumption in Thailand. The Thai economy at this time was heavily dependent on rice exports; Phibunsongkhram hoped to increase the amount of it available for export by launching a campaign to educate the poor in the production of rice noodles, as well as in the preparation of these noodles with other ingredients to sell in small cafes and from street carts.

Its name literally means "Thai-style stir-fried noodles", which suggests an origin that isn't Thai. Indeed, noodle cookery in most Southeast Asian countries was introduced by the wave of immigrants from southern China settling in the region the past century. They brought with them rice noodles and their ways of cooking them. During the recession following World War II, the post-war government of Field Marshall Pibul, desperate in its efforts to revive the Thai economy, looked for ways to stem the massive tide of unemployment. Among the occupations the government aggressively promoted to give the populace a way to earn a living was the production of rice noodles and the operation of noodle shops. Detailed instructions on how to make the noodles and recipes were printed and distributed around the country. From these efforts, rice noodles became firmly rooted in the country and have since become a widespread staple food.

Outside of Thailand, Pad Thai is one of the best-known Thai dishes, and is very popular in Thai restaurants in the United States and Australia.
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