Easy, Accessible Pad Thai
This pad thai recipe uses commonly stocked ingredients like ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to mimic the flavor of tamarind, brown sugar in lieu of palm sugar, and crushed red chili flakes (like the kind you use on pizza and pasta) to provide the heat normally brought to this dish by Thai chilies.
Unfortunately, there is no good substitute in my opinion for the rice noodles that are the heart of this dish. Luckily, they are light, ship inexpensively, and keep forever. If you don't have an Asian market nearby where you can buy them in person, you can order them online from web retailers like amazon. You might even be able to find them at your neighborhood Cost Plus (World Market). But don't discount the Asian section of your grocery, either. With the increasing popularity of so-called *ethnic* cooking, new ingredients are popping up everywhere.
The recipe is for 2 to 3 servings. If you want to double it, I recommend just prepping two separate batches for the best result. As with any stir-fry type dish, smaller batches produce a better result because the heat doesn't get diluted by too many ingredients in the pan.
Shinae
Ingredients
Method
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Add PhotoThere are 2 options for prepping the noodles: 1) If you have time, soak the noodles in enough cold water to cover for 1 hour and then drain well. This results in a better texture. OR 2) Soak the noodles in enough hot water to cover for about 12 to 15 minutes or so, until all the noodles go completely limp when you pull them up by the handful out of the water, and drain well.
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Turn the heat to high, add 1 or 2 Tablespoons of oil to the pan, wait about 15 seconds to heat it up, and add in the noodles. Let the noodles sit for about 30 seconds so as not to disperse the heat then give a toss to redistribute them. Do this 3 or 4 times before adding in the rest of your ingredients. If your noodles start to stick together a little at this point, don't worry. When you add the liquid from the sauce, they'll separate again as you stir.
