Author Notes
I call this the mother of all Pad Thai recipes. Basically because this is my mom's recipe. Really. Authentic. Thai. I rarely make this dish because my technique does not do it justice. And also because when she makes this dish, the recipe is fluid; changing each time she makes it, with a little more of this and a little less of that. This is just my observation from trying to keep up with her in the kitchen. It's really about the sauce and the noodles. From there, you can add any combination of things (including seafood or tofu), but the sum of all the add-ins is what makes this dish so delicious and different every time. —edamame2003
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Ingredients
- Pad Thai Sauce
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1/2 cup
tamarind concentrate
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1/2 cup
palm sugar
-
1/2 cup
lime juice
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3/8 cup
fish sauce
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1/2 cup
water
- Thai Noodles w/Shrimp
-
1/4 cup
grapeseed (or canola) oil
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16 ounces
dry rice noodles (vermicelli or pho width)
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4
cloves garlic, crushed
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10-12
peeled and cleaned shrimp
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1/2 pound
ground pork or chicken (optional)
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1/2 cup
sweet preserved radish (can be substituted with quick pickled carrots/radish julienned)
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4
eggs
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1/2 cup
green onion, chopped
-
cilantro leaves to garnish
Directions
- Pad Thai Sauce
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Mix all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
Let simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce liquid.
- Thai Noodles w/Shrimp
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Soak the dry noodles in hot water for 20 minutes and drain
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Heat half of the oil and stir fry the garlic until golden
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Add the ground meat and cook until browned. Drain the cooked meat.
Separate to a bowl.
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Stir fry shrimp until pink.
Add to bowl of ground meat and garlic.
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Pour the pad thai sauce in a pan (large enough for everything) and bring to a boil
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Add the drained noodles, turning and fluffing with a fork until the noodles are covered with the sauce. Be careful not to let the noodles stick to the pan.
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Remove the noodles from the pan.
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Heat the remaining oil and scramble the eggs.
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Lower the heat and add in the noodles, meat, shrimp and remaining ingredients, except cilantro.
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Mix and top with cilantro garnish.
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OPTIONAL:
Add ground chili pepper, crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, and lime to taste
I work in the entertainment business, and in my free time, I really enjoy growing my own vegetables, trolling my local farmers markets and trying to re-create yummy dishes I eat at my favorite restaurants. My son is a big influence on how and what I cook. He's my guinea pig and promises to try anything I make once. Luckily the recipes on food52 are bountiful and delicious.
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