Pad Thai (authentic)

Thai food is a hugely popular cuisine, of that there is no question. It’s one which many enjoy … and enjoy year round. But as I post this recipe, I also reflect that it is a cuisine I seem especially drawn to in the colder and winter months — perhaps it is because the warmth of flavours bring comfort and life to our homes that guard against the season. Perhaps it is because our body seeks the nutrients and freshness of the food whilst our grocery store shelves imperceptibly are transformed into warehouses of root (winter) vegetables, foods grown in hot houses, and those trucked from faraway lands. I’ve previously brought you Thai soups (coconut pumpkin) and curries (green curry and Massaman curry) and even summer Thai salads, but noodles have been absent so far … and nothing says Thai noodles like an authentic pad Thai.

If you ask me, pad Thai is the south-east Asian equivalent of that proverbial Italian comfort food, spaghetti bolognese. And like spaghetti with meat sauce, pad Thai has as many different variations and treatments. They all have rice noodles and bean sprouts and usually peanuts sprinkled on top, but the proteins vary from egg, to tofu, to shrimp, to chicken to all of the above. Some have veggies, many do not. But what really sets so many apart is the “sauce.” And it is on this that I will focus my attention in this recipe.

The sauces can range from those staying ‘purist’ and those that westernize it or simplify it. The truth is, the sauce is stupidly easy in almost all cases, but some rely on western ingredients (like ketchup) while others build the sauce up from the base. All the sauces will have a combination of sour, salty, and sweet and some will have some spice as well. Yes, those are the flavours of Thai food. What you use to produce them, can vary. The salty is usually going to come from the Thai fish sauce, but some will use soy sauce in combination with it or instead of fish sauce and some will use table salt. The sweetness is usually sugar (in one of its forms white, brown, demerara, honey) but those that use ketchup are using it for that purpose plus its vinegar that leads into the next flavour. Yes, sour is the real kicker in my opinion that keeps it yummy and authentic or some version thereof. The sour can come from the ketchup (when used to sweeten) vinegar, lime juice … or tamarind. What is that, you ask? I introduced my readers to it in my Massaman Curry recipe by writing the following about tamarind:

If you’re like many, tamarind is either an unfamiliar ingredient or one you know but have always been wary of trying. It’s actually not that scarey an ingredient. Tamarind is a bushy tropical tree that produces a kind of fruit in the shape of pod. These pods, when ripe, produce a sticky, sappy fruit which would perhaps best be described as sweet-and-sour. It is used in cooking through a large part of Africa and Asia and is commonly substituted in North America with a combination of lime juice and some sugar. However, if you’re looking to be authentic, tamarind is a simple thing to use … and cheaply procured at most Indian/Asian/ethnic grocers (cheaper than limes out of season).  It comes in a jelly like ‘brick’ looking like compressed figs … or, as I purchased mine, as a concentrate in the form of a thick paste. While both will work, the ‘brick’ typically includes the seeds and so will need straining before use. Some come with directions for reconstituting it, but my rule is about 1-tablespoon paste per 1/4 cup boiling water = 1 lime plus 1-teaspoon sugar.”

In my opinion, this is what  will separate your creation from those average pad Thai’s and propel into something super yummy and authentic. Yes, if you come from a small non-urban centre it may be a bit harder to locate, but it’s likely closer than you think and it costs next to nothing and lasts a long long time. It’s worth the adventure to track it down and use it.

A couple of other notes about tried and true pad Thai. First, the noodles. You have lots of choices in this regard from angel hair to thick rice stick. I use vermicelli but choose whatever floats your boat — there really isn’t a ‘wrong’ answer here. However, and as in Italian food, the key to any good noodle dish is to not ‘overcook‘ the noodles. In this case they are simply immersed in boiling water, but the process is the same. Use the manufacturer’s instructions as guide and note that they vary, but whatever you do, watch them, taste them, and don’t overcook. Indeed, under-cook if anything. In my case, 3 minutes was plenty. The second note is that this is a recipe for “vegetarian” pad Thai: read tofu. If you don’t like tofu, that’s cool, just use a couple of sliced chicken breasts instead. Want shrimp? Then use 1 lb of shrimp instead. Want to mix it up? Mix it up. Nothing else should require changing.

Ultimately, make the substitutions you need/want and make this recipe your own. After all, everyone else has before you, why shouldn’t you?