Try making homemade Pad Thai using the simple recipe below. You can have a delicious restaurant dish at home in just 45 minutes. The Pad Thai recipe requires the use of simple ingredients that are readily available in everyday grocery stores. Expect a delightful blend of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors that are sure to captivate your taste buds.
Homemade Pad Thai is a culinary journey that brings the vibrant flavors of Thailand right to your kitchen. This delightful stir-fried noodle dish is a harmonious blend of sweet, savory, and spicy notes that captivate the taste buds. With readily available ingredients and a straightforward recipe, you can recreate the magic of a restaurant-style Pad Thai in just 45 minutes.
What is Pad Thai?
Well, what is Pad Thai? This is a popular Thai stir-fried noodle dish. Connoisseurs revere Pad Thai for its captivating and delightful flavor. The unique blend of sweet and savory notes, enhanced by a sprinkling of peanuts and a touch of lime, renders Pad Thai a delicious treat.
Thus, if you are looking for a dish that will pleasantly surprise your guests, Pad Thai is a wonderful option for you. In addition, you can make it in the same pan. In less than an hour, you will have the Pad Thai with fresh vegetables and homemade Pad Thai sauce, which makes this dish really delightful.
Pad Thai Ingredients
Pad Thai consists of rice noodles, shrimp, and chicken combined with peanuts, a scrambled egg, and bean sprouts. These ingredients are sautéed together in a wok and topped with a delicious Pad Thai sauce. To make Pad Thai sauce, you will need sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, and red pepper.
A Note About Noodles:
Use flat-dried rice noodles. You can find them in everyday supermarkets. It is better to choose Chang’s “Thai style” rice noodles, which are less prone to breaking and need only 5 minutes to soak in hot water.
How to make Pad Thai
- Cook pasta: To cook pasta, follow the instructions on the package. Then rinse under cold water.
- Make the sauce: Combine all necessary ingredients: sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, and red pepper.
- Cooke eggs: Crack eggs into hot oil and scramble them.
- Sauté chicken: Stir in the chicken to the eggs and cook for 5 minutes.
- Combine and toss: Add noodles and sauce and mix well. Then stir bean sprouts and cook for 3 minutes.
- Serve: Top a dish with green onions, crushed peanuts, and a wedge of lemon.
Storage Pad Thai
Pad Thai can be made up to two days in advance. It can also be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. Before serving, reheat in a nonstick pan or microwave. You can also enhance the flavor by squeezing lime juice and peanuts.
What is Pad Thai Sauce made of?
The Pad Thai Sauce is prepared by blending fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and tamarind together.
Tamarind is the key ingredient of Pad Thai sauce, providing the sour flavor that defines the dish. It is commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, such as Malaysian Beef Rendang.
Authentic Pad Thai requires Tamarind pulp, which is soaked and pressed to make a puree.
To simplify my life, I use pre-made tamarind puree which is available at local supermarkets and Asian stores at a cheaper price.
Can’t find Tamarind Puree?
Believe it or not, ketchup can be a great substitute with a few tweaks to the recipe. You can achieve a similar, excellent outcome!
Notes
Peanut Butter: In my recipe, I add a generous amount of peanut butter to the sauce because it adds creaminess and a boost of flavor.
From a healthy eating perspective, everything in this dish is great except for the presence of sugar in the recipe. This slightly lowers its health score, but overall, this dish is definitely not off-limits because it contains a substantial amount of quality protein and complex carbohydrates (and it's gluten-free, which can be extremely important for people with celiac disease). The best time to consume Homemade Pad Thai is for lunch. For dinner, I can only recommend it to those who are looking to gain weight or at least not concerned about weight gain. If you are trying to lose weight, I would advise against choosing this dish for dinner, as consuming such a quantity of carbohydrates, including simple carbohydrates from sugar, in the evening can slow down the weight loss process.
1. Gather all necessary ingredients.
2. Soak rice noodles in cold water until soft, 30 to 50 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat butter in a wok; add chicken and sauté until browned. Remove chicken and set aside.
4. Heat oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Crack the eggs into the hot oil and cook until firm. Stir in chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the softened noodles, sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, and red pepper; mix well until the noodles are tender. Adjust seasonings to taste.
6. Stir bean sprouts into the wok and cook for 3 minutes.
7. Serve topped with green onions, crushed peanuts, and a wedge of lemon.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
Powered by the ESHA Research Database © 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved
For an authentic touch, consider experimenting with tamarind paste in your Pad Thai sauce. Tamarind adds a tangy kick that complements the sweetness and saltiness of the traditional sauce. Adjust the quantity to your liking, as it can bring a unique and delightful twist to your homemade Pad Thai. Elevate your culinary adventure and savor the authentic flavors of this Thai classic!
