By now, you may have guessed that I’m teaching you how to make the healthiest version of Thai cuisine possible – fresh, clean, made with whole foods, and scrumpdiddlyumptious. It would be an absolute shame to not tackle that most ubiquitous of all Thai dishes, Pad Thai, loved by children and adults alike!
We’ll be starting our Pad Thai sauce with the Tamarind Dipping Sauce found in the last post, https://nicolepoirier.com/sweet-tamarind-dipping-sauce-and-spring-roll-bites/. It’s super simple, and while our sauce reduces again, we’ll have all the time we need to prepare the rest of the components.
- 1 cup tamarind dipping sauce
- ¼ c water
- 4 – 5 Tablespoons fish sauce, tamari for vegan, coconut aminos for vegan & Paleo
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 8oz package rice sticks – found in the Asian section of the grocery store (use sweet potato or yam noodles if you want to keep it grain-free!)
- 1 c mung bean sprouts
- 1 c finely julienned carrot
- 4 – 5 oz tofu, small dice
- 2 eggs, lightly whipped in a bowl
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Limes, cilantro, Thai basil, chopped green onions, mint, chopped peanuts or cashews, and fried shallots for garnish
- Combine tamarind sauce, water, and fish sauce in a small sauce pan over medium low heat. Simmer until reduced by ⅓, about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, submerge the rice or sweet potato sticks in very hot – but NOT boiling – water until they are softened. Drain and set aside.
- In a large frying pan or wok, melt the coconut oil over high heat. Thanks to the high smoke point, it should not burn.
- Put int the tofu first and saute until it begins to turn golden.
- Add the bean sprouts and carrots and stir fry until they begin to soften.
- Make a well in the center and pour in the egg. Chop it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Now, add the drained noodles and about ½ the sauce. Stir through and taste – adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more sauce as needed.
- VARIATIONS – for SHRIMP or CHICKEN, I suggest cooking the bite-size protein separately but coated with the sauce. I prefer a quick bake in the oven to give it uniform doneness and no issues with sogginess. For TROPICAL – add red peppers, pineapple, onion, and edible pod peas to the stir fry. For straight up VEGAN – add whatever garden veggies you like to the stir fry – it’s always delicious!
- Once it is plated, garnish with reckless abandon – any and all of the aformentioned options are delightful. I like lots of fresh herbs both for their flavor punches as well as their health benefits.
This recipe makes quite a bit, but it’s SO good for you, you don’t have to feel guilty if you find yourself wandering into the kitchen at midnight to eat it. Like me. Whoops…
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