Pad Thai

 

When we were in Thailand we must have eaten this iconic Thai dish every other day for lunch. Whether we'd been shopping, trekking or lying by the pool, we always had an appetite for these tasty noodles. Nothing's changed, only we're at home and I can't just go and get it freshly made on the street corner - more's the pity.

Pad Thai

from Bill Granger's Bill's Everyday Asian

200g medium flat dried rice noodles
4 tbsp light-flavoured oil (I used peanut oil)
200g firm tofu, cut into 1.5cm dice (I had Thai marinated tofu in the fridge, but plain tofu is usually used)
3 cloves of garlic, crushed with the flat of a knife
1 red onion, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp lime juice
4 spring onions, very finely sliced
100g bean sprouts
4 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 limes, cut into wedges
1 small cucumber, cut into chunks
Extra fish sauce and 1 finely chopped Thai (or other hot) chilli for serving

Soak the noodles in hot water for five minutes to soften, drain well. Heat a wok over a medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of the oil. Stir-fry the tofu for 3-4 minutes until browned all over. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and remove from the wok.


Add the remaining oil and stir-fry the garlic and red onion for 30 seconds or until the garlic is golden. Remove from the wok. Pour in the beaten eggs and season to taste. Cook, stirring once or twice, for 30 seconds. Add the drained noodles and toss to mix. Add the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Return the garlic and onion to the pan, add the spring onions and bean sprouts. Return the tofu to the wok and toss to heat through. Transfer to a serving platter, dress with the roasted peanuts and chilli flakes and serve with the lime wedges and cucumber.

Pour some fish sauce into a small bowl or Chinese teacup, add the chopped chilli and add to the noodles as desired.