Best My Friend Mings Pad Thai Recipes

LEMONGRASS CHICKEN PAD THAI

Lemongrass Chicken Pad Thai image

I'm not sure how this recipe found me. It arrived in my inbox last week. It's a Ming Tsai recipe which states: Everyone loves chicken pad thai, Thailand's deliciously spicy noodle dish. The noodles used are rice sticks, which, besides being delightfully chewy, are gluten-free (for those allergic to it) and "cooked" simply by soaking. My version is easier to make than many others - I've eliminated the traditional tamarind, which is hard to find and fussy to prepare - but nothing is lost in the flavor department, I promise. I include the traditional scrambled eggs, but you can omit them, if you like. You'll still have a wonderfully satisfying dish. I did some looking around because I wanted to add the tamarind back in! I have a jar of tamarind concentrate that I found at a Middle Eastern store,

Provided by Elmotoo

Categories One Dish Meal

Time 40m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

8 ounces rice sticks
1 lb chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, cut into 1/3-inch-thick strips salt, Kosher
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
4 lemongrass, stalks white parts only, minced
1 large red onion, sliced thinly
1 jalapeno, cut into thin rings
3 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 lemons, zest and juice of

Steps:

Place the noodles in a medium-sized bowl and fill it with hot water to cover. Soak until pliable but not completely soft, 10-15 minutes.** Drain and set aside. You're aiming for noodles that are soft but not mushy, as the noodles will continue to cook when heated through before serving.
Season the chicken with salt and black pepper, to taste. Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and stir-fry until brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Return the wok to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat. When the oil is hot, add the lemongrass, onion, and jalapeño. Stir-fry until the onion is soft, about 1 minute. Push the mixture to one side of the wok, drizzle in the remaining 1 TB oil, and add the eggs. Stir-fry, breaking up the eggs, until cooked through, about 30 seconds. When the eggs are set, stir to incorporate the onion mixture.
Return the chicken to the pan, add the bell pepper, and stir. Add the tamarind concentrate, fish sauce, lemon zest and juice, and noodles. Stir and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste, transfer to a serving platter or plates, and serve.

PAD THAI

Pad Thai image

The most famous Thai dish in America! Making a good Pad Thai takes time. There's a delicate dance with the noodles because they cook in three stages. First you soak them in warm water and they begin to absorb and soften. They first get pan-fried with all the ingredients. Be patient at this stage. Allow them to begin to yield and marry with the hot oil and other ingredients. Once they look soft enough to eat right out of the pan but slightly al dente, add the sauce to finish the cooking. My family was among the first to introduce this dish to America nearly 50 years ago and the American version differs slightly from the native one. The super bright orange was accentuated with paprika instead of the traditional addition of chili paste to give it a slight tint. And we typically finish this dish with garlic chives vs. green onions. I always say Pad Thai is like pancakes. You'll burn a few before you get the knack for it.

Provided by Jet Tila

Categories main-dish

Time 1h

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (60 ml) Thai fish sauce
4 tablespoons (50 g) sugar
3 tablespoons (45 ml) bottled tamarind paste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sweet paprika, for color (optional)
2 teaspoons chili sauce, such as Sriracha
3 to 4 cups medium-width rice sticks, soaked
Banana leaf, cut into circles, for plating (optional)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, such as canola, grapeseed or peanut oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (95 g) Thai-style baked tofu, sliced
1 teaspoon dried shrimp
1/2 cup (95 g) chicken, cut into thin strips, 1-inch lengths
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons packaged salted turnip, minced
8 shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1 cup (240 g) bean sprouts
1/4 cup (50 g) dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed
3 to 4 garlic chives (or scallions), cut into 2-inch lengths on a bias
1 lime, cut for garnish

Steps:

For the Pad Thai Sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice, vinegar, paprika and chili sauce. Set aside.
For the Pad Thai: Soak the noodles in enough warm water to cover for 1 hour.
If using, cut the banana leaf into round shapes using an overturned bowl. Place on the serving platter and hold for plating.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil and coat the skillet completely. When the skillet starts to smoke, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 seconds. Add the tofu and dried shrimp and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes.
Push ingredients in the skillet to one side and let the oil settle in the center of skillet. Crack the eggs into the oil and let set until half-cooked, about 30 seconds, then lightly scramble. Combine with the remaining cooked ingredients in the skillet, scraping the bits from the bottom before they burn. Add 3 cups of the drained noodles and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve the noodle soaking water.
Add the salted turnip and shrimp. Cook until both the chicken and shrimp are at medium doneness, about 1 minute. Add the sauce and fold together until all the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Place half of the bean sprouts, half of the crushed peanuts and the garlic chives (or scallions) in the center of noodles, and then spoon some noodles over them to cover and let steam for 30 seconds. If the skillet seems dry, add a small amount of the noodle soaking water. Transfer to a serving plate with the banana leaf circle, and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, peanuts and lime.