How to Make Pad Thai with Jet Tila

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 4 tablespoons sugar — (50 g)
• 3 tablespoons bottled tamarind paste — (45 ml)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice — (15 ml)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar — (unseasoned, 15 ml)
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika — (for color, optional)
• 2 teaspoons chili sauce — (such as Sriracha)
• 3 to 4 cups medium-width rice sticks — (soaked)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil — (such as canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil, 30 ml)
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic — (roughly chopped)
• ½ cup Thai-style baked tofu — (sliced, 95 g)
• 1 teaspoon dried shrimp
• ½ cup chicken — (cut into thin strips, 95 g)
• 2 eggs
• 4 teaspoons packaged salted turnip — (minced)
• 8 shrimp (peeled and cleaned)
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts — (crushed, 50 g)
• 3 to 4 garlic chives — (or scallions, cut into 2-inch bias strips)
• 1 lime (cut for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice, vinegar, paprika, and chili sauce to make the Pad Thai sauce. Set aside.

2. 2

   Soak the rice sticks in enough warm water to cover for 1 hour.

3. 3

   If using, cut the banana leaf into round shapes using an overturned bowl for plating.

4. 4

   Heat a cast iron pan over high heat and add the vegetable oil, coating the pan completely. When the pan starts to smoke, add the garlic and stir for 5 seconds.

5. 5

   Add the tofu and dried shrimp, stir-frying until they begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 1 to 2 minutes.

7. 7

   Push the ingredients to one side of the pan and let the oil settle in the center. Crack the eggs into the pan and allow to set until half-cooked, about 30 seconds, then lightly scramble.

8. 8

   Combine the eggs with the remaining cooked ingredients in the pan, scraping the bits from the pan before they burn.

9. 9

   Add 3 cups of the drained noodles and cook until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

10. 10

    Add the salted turnip and shrimp, cooking until both the chicken and shrimp are medium doneness, about 1 minute.

11. 11

    Add the sauce mixture and fold together until all the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.

12. 12

    Place half of the bean sprouts, half of the crushed peanuts, and the garlic chives in the center of the noodles, then spoon some noodles over them to cover and let steam for 30 seconds. If the pan seems dry, add a small amount of the noodle soaking water.

13. 13

    Transfer to a serving plate with the banana leaf circle, and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, peanuts, and lime.