This is my third version of pad thai. It's more about the method than about the ingredients per se. It's about cooking only enough for one or two people at a time. This isn't perhaps time-economical if you're feeding 20, but it results in much better quality if you're only feeding maybe 6.
And, it's good planning if you're feeding one or two for lunch while working remotely at home.
The trick is to prepare the mise en place ahead of time. Maybe store it in the refrigerator ready to prepare a stir-fry from it. Obviously, you have to use your head as to what can be made ahead (sauce, vegetables, maybe the sliced meat, but not the eggs or noodles and not any cooking).
This is for 2 servings; the recipe scales well.
2-3 tbsp | white or packed brown sugar |
1 tbsp | fish sauce |
2 tbsp | tamarind paste (or 2 tsp concentrate) |
2 tbsp | ketchup |
1 tsp | soy sauce |
2-4 | scallions, in thin coins, chopped tops reserved |
1" | ginger, minced |
2 cloves | garlic, chopped, not minced |
— | red chile pepper, lower half of it in coins |
— | purple cabbage, shaved finely |
— | carrot, julienned or grated |
— | bean sprouts |
— | tops of scallions |
— | peanuts, crushed |
— | cilantro |
— | line slices |
— | chicken, very thin-sliced or shrimp |
— | pad thai (rice stick) noodles, handful, twisted and broken in half |
2 | eggs, well beaten, well salted, sit for 10 minutes after beating |
The charm of this method is that it goes very, very fast—in 3 minutes flat! Of course, your mise en place is already to go, right? Now remember, pad thai is a stir-fry! In this recipe, we're using a non-stick 12" skillet.
Serve garnished.