Shrimp Pad Thai

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste (from a pliable block)
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed (or palm sugar)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (7 ounce) package rice noodles, dried (fettuccine width)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 small shallots, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 lb tofu, patted dry and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (optional)
• 2 1/2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and dried
• 8 scallions, quartered legthwise and cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons roasted peanuts, unsalted and crushed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (to taste)
• lime wedge

Recipe

• 1 rice noodles:.
• 2 place wide rice noodles in a bowl and pour in enough very warm (110°f) water to totally submerge the noodles; soak until they’re pliable but still rather firm, about 30 minutes.
• 3 drain thoroughly and keep in bowl, tightly covred with plastic wrap.
• 4 sauce (can be made up to one day in advance; store in refrigerator):.
• 5 pour boiling water into a bowl and add tamarind, stir and mash gently for 3 minutes to soften.
• 6 pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids; discard solids.
• 7 combine fish sauce, tamarind mixture, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt in a small saucepan and heat over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved; 1 to 2 minutes.
• 8 remove from heat and set aside.
• 9 pad thai:.
• 10 heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.
• 11 add eggs and scramble until just cooked through, about 1 minute.
• 12 transfer eggs to a bowl and tear into small pieces.
• 13 heat remaining oil in wok over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke.
• 14 add garlic and shallots and stir-fry until just beginningto brown, about 1 minute.
• 15 add shrimp and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add optional tofu and stir-fry until shrimp is just cooked through,about 2 minutes.
• 16 transfer shrimp to bowl with eggs.
• 17 heat wok over moderately high heat until hot.
• 18 add tamarind sauce and bring to a boil.
• 19 add drained rice noodles and stir-fry until tender and excess sauce is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.
• 20 add egg and shrimp mixture, 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts, scallions, 2 tablespoon peanuts and red pepper flakes and toss well.
• 21 place pad thai on a platter and top with remaining 1 cup bean sprouts and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons peanuts.
• 22 serve with lime wedges.