Spicy Pad Thai Recipes

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.

SPICY THAI BASIL CHICKEN (PAD KRAPOW GAI)

Steps:

• Whisk chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar, and brown sugar together in a bowl until well blended.
• Heat large skillet over high heat. Drizzle in oil. Add chicken and stir fry until it loses its raw color, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in shallots, garlic, and sliced chilies. Continue cooking on high heat until some of the juices start to caramelize in the bottom of the pan, about 2 or 3 more minutes. Add about a tablespoon of the sauce mixture to the skillet; cook and stir until sauce begins to caramelize, about 1 minute.
• Pour in the rest of the sauce. Cook and stir until sauce has deglazed the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until sauce glazes onto the meat, 1 or 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir in basil. Cook and stir until basil is wilted, about 20 seconds. Serve with rice.

SPICY SHRIMP PAD THAI

Steps:

• Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside until noodles are softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
• Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Combine rice wine vinegar, ketchup, fish sauce, chile sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Add shrimp to the wok. Cook and stir until pink, about 4 minutes. Add the ketchup mixture and stir. Move all ingredients to one side to clear a small space in the pan. Pour in eggs and cook without stirring until partially set, about 3 minutes.
• Stir the drained noodles into the shrimp and egg mixture. Add 1/2 cup peanuts, 1/4 cup bean sprouts, and carrots. Cook and stir until noodles are heated through, about 2 minutes. Garnish with the remaining peanuts, bean sprouts, lime wedges, green onions, and cilantro.

SPICY BEEF PAD THAI

Steps:

• 1. Bring a pot of water big enough to cook the noodles to a boil. Once the water is boiling, drop in the noodles and cook until al dente (slightly firm). Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Shake off the excess water and set aside the noodles to drain. Once they are drained, lay them out on a plate to minimize clumping. The noodles will be cold when added to the pot.
• 2. In a small bowl, mix together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken stock, and egg. This is your sauce.
• 3. In a wok or large saute pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. Once you see a haze coming off the oil, add the steak, chile, and shallots. Stir frequently until slightly colored, about 30 seconds, and remove to a plate or bowl.
• 4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil to the wok, then add the broccoli. Cook for 30 seconds and remove to the plate with the steak. Add the peanuts and toast briefly. Add the noodles to the wok and mix with the peanuts. Spread the noodles out thin and cook, without stirring, for 20 seconds.
• 5. Add the sauce and half of the green onions to the wok and stir. Add the steak and broccoli and 3/4 cup of the bean sprouts. Stir and divide evenly among three or four plates. Garnish each plate with some of the remaining bean sprouts and green onions. Serve immediately.

SPICY PAD THAI

Steps:

• Brown chicken in oil, with a few chili flakes if desired, then remove from pan.
• Add all veggies into some oil except tomatoes, sauté 5-10 minutes.
• Mash garlic into a paste, and add flakes, brown sugar, lime juice, Soya sauce and peanut butter, mix well.
• Add 1/3 sauce to the veggies, heat through for 5 minutes.
• Add in tomatoes and sliced chicken, pour 1/3 sauce over, and heat through 5 minutes.
• Cook noodles according to package directions.
• When cooked, add 1/3 of sauce to noodles.
• Place veggies and chicken over the noodles, and enjoy!

SPICY PORK PAD THAI

Steps:

• Clean and trim off excess fat from the pork, then thinly slice and add to medium sized bowl. Add the corn starch, light soy sauce, and 1 TSP canola oil to the bowl, then mix with a spoon until the pork is evenly coated in the marinade. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.
• Soak the rice noodles in a bowl filled with room temperature water for 20-30 minutes, or until they have softened and are pliable. Drain and set aside. Chop/prepare the shallots, garlic, red chilies, Chinese chives, spring onion, and yellow tofu as indicated in the 'Ingredients' section. Rinse and drain the mung bean sprouts, set aside.
• Combine the fish sauce, light soy sauce, sweet dark soy sauce, tamarind paste, lime juice, coconut sugar, and crushed red pepper chili flakes in a measuring cup (for easier pouring) or small bowl. Mix with a spoon or small whisk until thoroughly combined, then set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil (or vegetable oil if using) over high heat in a large wok or large deep sauté pan. Once hot, add the pork and spread out the pieces in an even layer in the wok. Cook for 1 minute, undisturbed, then turn over the pieces to sear the other side for another minute. Stir-fry for 30 seconds or until the pork has almost fully cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
• Heat 1.5 tablespoons canola oil in the wok over high heat. Once hot, add the shallots, garlic, and red chilies. Stir-fry for a minute until fragrant.
• Add the pickled radish and tofu and toss to combine.
• Push everything to the side of the wok and add the remaining half tablespoon of oil. Add the egg and scramble. Then stir-fry to combine with everything else.
• Add the rice noodles, 1 tablespoon of water, and pour the Pad Thai Sauce on top of the noodles. Toss through to combine with the aromatics. (Note: It may look a bit too liquidy at first, but the noodles will quickly start to cook in the liquid and absorb the sauce.)
• Add the pork and toss to combine. Then add the mung bean sprouts, Chinese chives, and spring onion. Stir-fry for 40 seconds to 1 minute, then switch off the heat. (Note: The residual heat from pan will help wilt and soften the veggies once taken off the heat.)
• Divide the Spicy Pork Pad Thai evenly into plates and garnish with chopped peanuts. Serve with more bean sprouts, spring onion, Chinese chives, chopped peanuts, lime wedges for squeezing, and crushed red pepper chili flakes if desired.