Phad Thai is one of the many pearls in Thai cuisine. Phad Thai has its origins in World War II, when the Thai government wanted to reduce rice consumption for economic reasons. Unlike rice, noodles were sustainable, because one bowl of rice could be made into five bowls of noodles. Because there was no Thai dish with noodles yet, the Thai government decided to develop this itself and so the "Phai Thai", which literally means "Thai stir-fry", was created.
Traditionally, Phad Thai is made with rice noodles from Chanthaburi, shrimp, hard tofu, garlic, bean sprouts, kohlrabi, peanuts and lime, served with banana blossom and optional dry chili for an extra Thai touch. The most important part of Phad Thai is the sauce, made of tamarind paste, palm sugar and fried shallot.
Meanwhile, Phad Thai has become one of the most popular dishes in Thailand and is available on every street corner. All over the country, people are trying to come up with creative variations on this classic dish.
Recipe Phad Thai for two people
Unfortunately, it will probably take a while before you can go to Thailand again to eat Phad Thai there, but don't worry, with the recipe below you can make this delicious dish yourself.
For the sauce you need the following ingredients:
150 grams tamarind paste
150 grams palm sugar
50 grams shallots
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Deep-fry the shallots in hot oil until golden brown, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the tamarind paste and add the palm sugar. Keep stirring until it melts. Turn off the heat, add the fish sauce and mix all ingredients until smooth.
For the stir-fry you need the following ingredients:
200 grams of rice noodles, soaked in water
4 tablespoons of the Phad Thai sauce
Shrimp
A clove of garlic
100 grams of tofu, diced
1 or 2 eggs
2 teaspoons fermented turnip
1 tablespoon chives
150 grams bean sprouts
4 tablespoons chopped peanuts
½ teaspoon dry chili flakes
4 tablespoons coconut oil
Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the shrimp, then set the shrimp aside. Fry the garlic, kohlrabi and tofu in the remaining oil. Add the sauce, noodles and water. Let it cook for a while. Add the egg, chili, peanuts, bean sprouts and chives. Stir-fry for 10 seconds and turn off the heat. Season with fish sauce, dry chili, lime juice and caster sugar.
Enjoy your meal!
