Pad Thai

Ingredients:
1 package of dry rice noodles(preferably size M)divided
1 pound of shrimp, cleaned and deveined(also marinated with 2 Tbsp of the FINISHED pad thai sauce)divided
6 cloves of chopped garlic, divided
2 Tbsp of ground chili paste mixed with 1/2 tsp of paprika(if you like it spicier, add more chili powder, or you can omit all the spicy flavors and sub with more paprika for color), divided
4 eggs, divided
bean sprouts
peanut oil
sesame oil
some warm water

For the pad thai sauce:
3/4 cup of palm sugar(or sugar)*
1/4 cup of tamarind concentrate plus 1 cup of warm water
1/2 tsp of salt
1 cup of warm water
1/2 cup of fish sauce
*Browse my blog on a quick post on how to melt palm sugar!

Garnishes:
dry roasted, ground peanuts
chives
chili powder or ground chili paste
fresh bean sprouts
lime wedges

*BE SURE TO HAVE ALL OF YOUR INGREDIENTS READY BEFORE STIR FRYING!

Soak your dry rice noodles in some warm water for about 30 minutes or until al dente. You want them to be slightly softened and pliable but not too soft. Just check on them often to make sure you don't overdo it. Drain them completely and drizzle in some sesame oil. Toss to coat. Set aside.

Combine all of your ingredients for your pad thai sauce in a pot and cook on an outside burner. If you can't simmer this outside, then you might want to rethink making this dish! The aroma from the fish sauce simmering away, is bad enough to make you want to climb into your car, drive half way across town, and slap yo mama. No lie. You want to keep the ingredients at a medium boil, with the lid slightly cracked to relieve some steam. Boil for about thirty minutes, or until you see most of the liquid start to bubble away and has become slightly thickened. Make sure you stir often to prevent burning. Once done, set aside to cool down. The sauce will thicken upon standing. Set aside.

Take some pad thai sauce and mix it in with your shrimp. Next, with a wok on medium high heat, add in 2 cloves of chopped garlic and stir fry for a few seconds. Add in your shrimp and cook until almost cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Using the same wok, add in two handfuls of the dried noodles. Add in a little bit of warm water plus a ladle of pad thai sauce. Cook until noodles are done to your liking(making sure to stir constantly to prevent sticking). Add half of the shrimp back in and make a well in the center of the wok. Crack two eggs into the middle and wait a minute before mixing. Stir to combine the eggs with the noodles and shrimp. Once done, turn off heat and mix in some bean sprouts. Remove immediately, and place on a serving platter. Garnish with chives, dry roasted peanuts, chili powder or paste, fresh bean sprouts, and lime. Repeat process to make second batch.

Notes:
Do not double recipe for pad thai sauce. You must make the sauce in separate batches if you want more sauce. Once cooked, you may store in airtight container and keep for future use. If you would like more "tang" then you can add more tamarind concentrate. I like to add a generous squeeze of lime at the end, so too much tamarind for me would be overkill. The sauce on it's own might taste strong, but once you stir fry it with the noodles it will be perfect! Remember, it should taste slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and slightly salty! I say, "divided" in the recipe because you must cook everything in batches. In the video below, I show you how to make one batch of pad thai.