How to Make the #1 Best Pad Thai


World's Best Pad Thai is Made With Friends


You may have eaten Pad Thai* at a restaurant in your neighborhood; it is considered the national dish of Thailand and has been promoted worldwide by the Thai government. You may have also enjoyed Pad Thai at a restaurant in Thailand. But have you ever made Pad Thai at home, alongside dear Thai friends? Recently, Leah, Jessica, and I had that opportunity. Our friend Nok invited us to their family home for a hands-on experience making Pad Thai, and it was the very best Pad Thai we have ever had! Cooking and eating together delight the taste buds and the soul.


So gather your friends and family, and enjoy spending time together cooking, laughing, and eating the world’s best Pad Thai! Here's the family recipe along with video instructions. Thanks to Jessica and Leah for cooking and writing the recipe to share with you!

 

Ingredients:

  • Crushed peanuts (for best results, roast fresh, unsalted peanuts for ~30 minutes, then rub to remove husks and grind into the texture of rough sand)
  • Tofu (cut into small cubes or slices, depending on your preference)
  • Oil
  • Onions (diced)
  • Dried radish
  • Dried shrimp
  • Noodles
  • Pad Thai flavor/seasoning packet
  • Bean sprouts
  • Chives (big ones - cut into ~1 inch pieces)
  • 2 eggs
  • Sugar (for topping)
  • Crushed chili powder (for topping)
  • Lime (for topping)

Directions: 

  1. Add oil to the pan. When it starts to bubble, add tofu and stir continuously until it turns a light yellow.  (Video of Step 1)
  2. After about 30 seconds, add the onions and dried radish, continuing to stir. Cook for another minute (or until fragrant) and remove from heat. Place in a separate bowl for later.
  3. Add the red sauce from the Pad Thai flavor packet. Add water (fill up the packet, or add to taste). Stir continuously to heat up the sauce. (Video of Steps 2 and 3)
  4. Add noodles and a bit more water, stirring and flipping the noodles over. 
    1. Cook until the noodles are soft. (Video of Step 4a)
    2. Try to keep the noodles from getting all tangled together in one big lump - do your best to separate them as they cook. (Video of Step 4b)
  5. Add tofu mixture and dried shrimp, stirring and flipping to mix.
  6. Push the noodles to one side of the pan. Add a bit of oil to the space, and add the eggs after the oil has heated up. Stir the eggs to mix them, then flip the noodles on top of the eggs and allow to cook for about 10 seconds.
  7. Add bean sprouts and chives (save some for garnishing at the end).
  8. Continue stirring and flipping the noodles until everything is all mixed together (and it just looks good).
  9. Transfer the noodles to a plate and top with crushed peanuts, sugar, chili flake powder, and lime. Garnish with bean sprouts and chives. (Video of Steps 5-9)
  10. Eat with friends and family, or by yourself if you don't want to share.

*Pad Thai is pronounced more like "putt" as in a golf putt rather than "pad" like a pad of paper.
 
Enjoying Pad Thai Together

 Save room for other Thai treats!



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Work and Fun ("Sanuk") at Mahidol University

Image
"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing" Dale Carnegie "Sanuk" (สนุก) or "Fun," is a universal value in Thai culture. Beyond a sense of fun, a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction in life's activities is encompassed in the word สนุก. I am having so much fun here in Thailand - at the university, home, and after-work adventures. It's been so fun to work at Mahidol University this past week. The administrators, faculty, and staff have welcomed me ceremoniously and genuinely. I am so excited about collaboratively working with this amazingly dedicated team. Here's a little bit of information about Mahidol University: It is one of the top global universities in the world (top 1/4 of those ranked). It is the #1 global university in Thailand. It is known for its excellence in the hard sciences, especially infectious diseases and immunology, but it is also highly ranked for social sciences. They have a reputable international ...
Read more

Cougars in Thailand

Image
You may know that cougars are typically found in the Americas. But did you know that there are two cougars in Thailand? They are Jessica and Leah, two BYU Cougars, undergraduate students studying Communication Disorders.   I received a grant from the BYU McKay School of Education to provide an experiential learning opportunity for undergraduate students to learn about conducting research, teaching, and being immersed in a new culture. Of the many students who applied and qualified for this experience, Jessica and Leah rose to the top. They arrived in May and have been amazing with their ability to understand and embrace the culture, try exotic food, flexibly accept changes in our schedule, and enjoy every minute of their time here. Our motto for this experience is “A new day, a new adventure!”     Their primary responsibilities thus far have been to teach the neurodiverse students and the children from the homeless shelter. They have also taught students from the Foundati...
Read more

Anxiously Engaged in a Good Cause

Image
You should be anxiously engaged in a good cause,   and do many things of your own free will,   and bring to pass much righteousness;   For the power is in you,   wherein you are an agent unto yourself.   And inasmuch as you do good   you shall in nowise lose your reward.   (Doctrine & Covenants 58:27-28, alt.) As I sat down to craft this week’s blog post, this scripture came to my mind. Before my Fulbright Scholar assignment, I had resolved to engage myself in various worthy causes while in Thailand, embracing every meaningful opportunity presented to me beyond the scope of my primary purpose (research). Since my arrival, I've enthusiastically said “yes” to numerous causes, including teaching assignments, volunteering at the orphanage, and even joining the volleyball team. I didn't anticipate, however, that amidst these amazing opportunities, I would be invited to embark on a new kind of engagement. Two weeks ago, Chris Smith proposed to ...
Read more