Pad Thai

6 oz extra firm tofu

1 cup soy sauce

1 oz tamarind paste

3/4 cup boiling water

2 tbsp palm sugar

2 tbsp fish sauce

6 oz Thailand rice sticks

4 tbsp virgin coconut oil, divided

1 shallot, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 eggs

10 shrimp, cleaned with tail removed

1 tbsp dried shrimp, crushed

1 tsp Thai red pepper flakes

1 cup scallions, chopped

1 cup mung beans, rinsed

2 tbsp pickled turnip strips

1/2 cup cashews, roughly chopped

lime wedges for garnish

The night before or several hours before cooking, divide the tofu by slicing it once horizontally and once vertically. Place the four pieces on a tea towel, cover, and weight to drain the excess water. Once the tofu are dry, slice into six strips per piece and marinate 12 pieces in 1 cup soy sauce (you will have tofu left over to use for extra Pad Thai or in another recipe).

To prepare the tamarind sauce, add 1 oz tamarind paste to 3/4 cup boiling water and crush well with a fork. Drain the tamarind paste through a sieve, then add the palm sugar and fish sauce.

Approximately 10 min before cooking, cover the rice noodles in hot water. The noodles should not soak more than 10 min or they will become mushy and fall apart, so drain the water if necessary before cooking begins.

Once you are prepared to cook, place 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil in the hot wok and add the tofu. Either toss carefully or use a wooden spoon to keep the tofu moving around the bottom of the wok so they do not burn. After a few minutes, the tofu should be brown on both sides. Remove from the wok and place back in their bowl.

Next, add the last 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil and add the shallot and garlic, also stirring. After 1 min, add the noodles and sauce, stirring well. After 1 min, push the noodles further up the wok and add both eggs. Allow them to lose their translucency, then scramble. Once the eggs are scrambled, push them to the side also and add the shrimp.

Once pink on both sides, add the remaining ingredients of dried shrimp, Thai red pepper flakes, scallions, mung beans, pickled turnip strips, and cashews. (Remember to reserve a few pieces of mung beans, scallions, and cashews as garnish.) After cooking for 2-3 min, remove from the heat to plate and serve immediately. Garnish with lime wedges if desired.

~Yields 2 servings.

Recipe printed from Le Grand Fromage: http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/

URL to recipe: http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/09/project-food-blog-2-pad-thai.html