Phat Pad Thai
Pad Thai is phat, or cool, or any other word for brilliant, a quick stir fry that is packed full of veg and also protein from the egg, chicken and peanuts. A relatively new dish in Thailand, first promoted after the Second World War when Thailand was trying to secure more independence from China by inventing their own rice noodle rather than eat rice direct from China. Once cooked, minus the sprinkle of peanuts, I remove a few pieces of chicken, a few noodles, a couple of pieces of pepper, and bit of egg for little one – I serve it to her deconstructed in different compartments of her tray.
Makes enough for 2 grown-ups and 1 little one
Ingredients
½ red onion cut into squarish pieces around 2cm
1 orange/red/yellow pepper cut into strips
Handful of bean sprouts
1 carrot grated
4 spring onions – cut length ways into 8 long pieces
1 crushed garlic clove
Thumb size ginger finely grated
1 tbsp low salt soy sauce (or 1 ½ tsp standard soy sauce)
Juice of 1 lime
Handful of dry roasted peanuts – bashed in a mortar and pestle
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts cut into long thin strips
2 egg omelette cut into smaller 1-2 cm pieces
300g quick cook rice noodles (ideally ready to fry, if not available cook around 250g dry rice noodles in hot water as per instructions and then rinse with cold water so they do not stick together – then they are ready to use in this recipe)
Method
1. Mix lime juice, soy sauce, garlic and ginger.
2. Fry red onion, pepper, and spring onions in oil on a high heat for a minute then add the chicken. Cook on a high heat continuously turning the chicken for around 6 minutes
3. Add grated carrot and bean sprouts and cook stirring them through for 2 mins. Add the soy sauce mix and stir through.
4. Add omelette pieces and noodles stir through for 1-2 mins. The chicken should be cooked by now but check by cutting through a fat piece.
5. Pull out little ones portion then add bashed nuts, mix and serve.
Tips
Once cooked, minus the sprinkle of peanuts, I remove a few pieces of chicken, a few noodles, a couple of pieces of pepper, and bit of egg for little one – I serve it to her deconstructed in different compartments of her tray. The veg and chicken can be cut the day before, the omelette can even be prepped the night before making this a really quick dish to cook.
Fact
Pad Thai is a relatively new dish in Thailand, first promoted after the Second World War when Thailand was trying to secure more independence from China by inventing their own rice noodle rather than eat rice direct from China.