Easy Pad Thai by Nici Wickes

Ingredients

250g flat dried rice noodles
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp (soaked in a bit of warm water to loosen)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons palm sugar, shaved
Juice of one lime or lemon
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 fresh red chillies (or green ones if you want a hotter dish)
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
3 eggs

3 handfuls fresh bean sprouts
4 spring onions, sliced diagonally and thinly, use the green bits too
handful fresh coriander sprigs
½ c coarsely chopped roasted peanuts for garnish
Lime or lemon wedges to serve

Directions

To make it easier on yourself soak the noodles and make the sauce in advance. Here’s how: Place rice noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Leave for at least 20minutes until softened, then rinse and drain and set aside. They should be firm to the bite because don’t forget they will be cooked more in the pan.  Whilst these are soaking get the sauce ready. In a small pot, mix together tamarind pulp, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice and bring it a simmer.
Now you are ready to start the fast and furious cooking of Pad Thai! Heat a wok or thin bottomed pan over high heat. When it is hot, add the oil. To the pan add the chillies and garlic, and stir-fry for one minute.Add the drained rice noodles and stir fry until hot, before adding the sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes, keeping the noodles moving around the pan to avoid sticking and to get them coated in the sauce.

If the sauce evaporates too quickly and your noodles aren’t quite ready, add a bit of water and keep stirring. Add a bit of oil if the noodle still sticks together. When the noodles are nearly ready (firm to bite and coated in tasty sauce) push them aside in the pan and crack your eggs into the space. Cook these, stirring with a fork, until set. Stir through the noodles then add bean sprouts and spring onions and continue to stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.Take off the heat and turn onto a plate.

Garnish with crushed nuts, wedges of lime (or lemon) and corriander.  

Note:  If you're adding chicken take Tegel Lean & Lite skinless and boneless breast fillets sliced in to strips and add to pan or wok after the garlic and chilli has been cooked.  Saute until it's cooked through before adding the rice noodles.  You could add some shrimps too.

Serves 6-8