Anyone make Pad Thai?

MrsE_2

Near where I work is a place that does the most amazing Pad Thai.

I've tried to recreate it at home using a recipe I found on the BBC food website.

But it wasn't really right, also the rice noodles were sticky/clumpy.

I used

Shredded omelet
chicken
prawns
spring onions
rice noodles
garlic
Nam pla (fish sauce)
tomato sauce
cashew nuts
Lime juice

Any tips?

stacey809

What type of oil did you use?

Was the wok/pan big enough?

Was it dried rice noodles or the ready to wok ones?

esio_trot

I made it once, a while ago, worked out quite nicely but I found it too fiddly to make on a regular basis and lost the recipe!

I'm sure the one I used was Weight Watchers 5 point Pad Thai. A few variations of it come up if you search for it on google. I also cheated if I remember and used some straight to wok noodles, rather than cooking them myself - I tend to find they get less sticky that way.

pootlehat

hiya, i have done a similar recipe from the look of yours ( bbc)
found you have to eat it really hot, and will depend on type of noodles. when it cools it sticks together

hth

MrsE_2

stacey809 wrote: »

What type of oil did you use?

Was the wok/pan big enough?

Was it dried rice noodles or the ready to wok ones?

Olive

Yes

Dried that I undried (:o) in hot water for 5 mins frst.

misskool

If you are using the boiled noodles, you need to rinse them through with cold water after boiling and then a drop of oil and they won't stick.

I've no idea about the recipe but sometimes it's helpful to fry them briefly after they've been boiled and washed with cold water to brown them off.

also, it's mostly peanuts in pad thai, the crunch comes from bean sprouts and if you can, use tamarind (should be available in most high end supermarkets).

For more flavor, try finding dried shrimp or preserved turnip.

MrsE_2

misskool wrote: »

If you are using the boiled noodles, you need to rinse them through with cold water after boiling and then a drop of oil and they won't stick. did that

I've no idea about the recipe but sometimes it's helpful to fry them briefly after they've been boiled and washed with cold water to brown them off. did that too

also, it's mostly peanuts in pad thai, the crunch comes from bean sprouts and if you can, use tamarind (should be available in most high end supermarkets). instead of cashews?

For more flavor, try finding dried shrimp or preserved turnip.

I did see a recipe with ground dried shrimp:beer:

misskool

yes, cashews are soft and creamy (unless roasted) peanuts have a different flavor to them.

also, don't use olive oil for Asian cooking, the smoking point is too low and you give it a different taste.

How long did you fry the noodles in the wok? the more you fry them after you've cooked them the stickier they get. I only add them at the last second to stir through before serving.

edited to add, Also, the sauce should be an element of salty, sweet, sour and spicy. So nam pla, sugar (palm is better or rock sugar, at a push, dark demerara sugar), tamarind and chillies.