The classic, recreated at home
Eating Pad Thai at a restaurant is always a mixed bag, I like the dish, but it is never exactly the vegetables I prefer. The advantage of making it at home is just that – you can play with which vegetables you prefer until you achieve the combination that is perfect for you.
Therefore, the vegetables I suggest here in the recipe are just that – a suggestion. You should choose the ones you like the most, they are probably not the same as the ones I like. The one important rule is Don’t Overcook the Veggies! Most vegetables in Pad Thai should be firm and crunchy rather than soggy. A few minutes in the pan should be enough.
The sauce is not very hard, and you can play with it as well, but in my opinion, the suggested sauce here is better than what I encounter in most restaurants. I make it with oyster sauce but you can easily switch it to fish sauce instead, for a kosher version (given the fish sauce is kosher itself – you can find anchovy-based sauce), or if you don’t like the oyster taste. Note that oyster/fish sauces together with soy sauce are usually very salty (taste a drop before using), so don’t add any more salt to the dish before tasting (for that reason, I use low sodium soy sauce).
For the noodles, I used rice noodles, but egg noodles are a great option as well if you prefer.
Using a wok is preferable, especially if you are preparing a large amount, but for small portions, a non-stick pan is okay as well.
You can make extra sauce and keep it in the refrigerator. It will have a jelly-like consistency when cold, but don’t worry it will turn liquid in the pan.
Ingredients
- 250 gr chicken, cut to strips or cubes [0.55 lb]
- 150 gr white cabbage [0.33 lb]
- 100 gr carrot (1 small) [0.22 lb]
- 90 gr bean sprouts [0.2 lb]
- 100 gr oyster or shimeji mushrooms [0.22 lb]
- 100 gr leek or onion [0.22 lb]
- canola oil
- crushed peanuts
Sauce
- 20 gr oyster or fish sauce (about a tbsp) [0.7 oz]
- 40 gr low sodium soy sauce (~2.5 tbsp) [1.4 oz]
- ⅓ cup water
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed or sliced
- 4 shavings of fresh ginger
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp low sodium chicken stock powder (optional)
- canola oil
Instructions
The sauce
- Heat a bit of oil in a small pot or saucepan over low heat.
- Add the garlic and cook until the fragrance turns from spicy to sweet.
- Add the oyster/fish sauce, soy sauce to the pot.
- In a cup combine the corn starch and water until homogenous and add it slowly to the pot while stirring.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat until the sauce boils gently and is in dark, partly translucent, shade. Take it off the heat.
- For a smooth sauce pour the sauce through a mesh strainer to a bowl.
Prepare the chicken
- In a pan over high heat with a bit of oil sauté the chicken until it is ready.
- The chicken strips should be white with charred orange/light brown areas.
The Dish
- Cut the vegetables – The onion/leek to small cubes, the cabbage to strips, the carrots to thin strips, and the mushrooms to reasonable sizes.
- In the meantime heat a pot of water for the noodles.
- In a pan or wok heat a bit of oil over low heat and add the onion/leek
- When the onion/leek begins to become translucent add the mushrooms turn the heat to medium-high, and cook until they lose all their water.
- When the mushrooms finish losing their water add the rest of the vegetables. The vegetables should cook for around 10 minutes. After around 8 minutes add the sauce and stir.
- To have the noodles ready in time for the vegetables add them to the water so they will be ready with the vegetables (i.e. if noodles cook time is 4 minutes, add them to the pot 6 minutes after adding the vegetables to the pan). Cook time for the noodles should be written on the package.
- When the noodles are ready, rinse them and add them to the pan. Stir until everything is fully coated.
- Place on a dish and sprinkle with crushed peanuts – serve immediately.
