My Friend Mings Pad Thai Recipes

PAD THAI

Steps:

• Place the tamarind paste in the boiling water and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.
• Combine the fish sauce, palm sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
• Place the rice stick noodles in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Once the other ingredients are measured out into separate bowls, drain the water from the noodles and set them aside. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch wide strips, similar to French fries.
• Press the tamarind paste through a fine mesh strainer and add to the sauce. Stir to combine.
• Place a wok over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. Heat until it shimmers, then add the tofu. Cook the tofu until golden brown, moving constantly, for no longer than 1 minute. Remove the tofu from the pan to a small bowl and set aside.
• If necessary, add some more peanut oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Add 2/3 of the scallions and then the garlic, cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the eggs to the pan; once the eggs begin to set up, about 15 to 20 seconds, stir to scramble. Add the remaining ingredients in the following order and toss after each addition: noodles, sauce, cabbage, shrimp, and 2/3 of the bean sprouts and peanuts. Toss everything until heated through, but no longer than 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining scallions, bean sprouts, and peanuts. Serve immediately with the ground chile peppers and lime wedges.
• Wrap the tofu firmly in a tea towel. Place the wrapped tofu into an 8-inch cake pan. Top with another cake pan and weigh down with a 5-pound weight. (Bags of dried beans or grains work well.) Place in refrigerator and press for 12 to 15 hours.
• Place pressed tofu in a 2-cup container. Combine soy sauce and five-spice powder and pour over tofu. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning once. Remove the tofu from the marinade and use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.

PAD THAI

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.

EASY PAD THAI

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions., In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry pork in oil over high heat until lightly browned; remove and set aside. Add shallot to pan and cook until tender, about 1 minute; add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Make a well in the center of the onion mixture; add egg. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until egg is completely set. , Add the coleslaw mix, green onions, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, lime juice and peanuts; heat through. Return pork to pan and heat through. Drain noodles; toss with pork mixture. Garnish with cilantro, additional peanuts, lime wedges and bean sprouts.

MY FRIEND MING'S PAD THAI

Steps:

• Soak the rice noodles in a large bowl of warm water until just pliable and almost tender, about 20 minutes. Drain noodles well. Stir the fish sauce, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, chile and garlic and sauté for 1 minute or until the garlic and chile softens and the mixture is fragrant. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until they are pink and opaque in the center, about 2 minutes.
• Add the cabbage, 2 cups/160 g of bean sprouts, and half of the cilantro. Add the fish sauce mixture. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the cabbage begins to wilt. Add the noodles and toss until the noodles are tender.
• Transfer to 4 plates, mounding slightly and dividing equally. Arrange the shrimp around the noodles. Top with the remaining bean sprouts and cilantro. Sprinkle with the peanuts and serve with the lime wedges.