The Basic Steps of Making Great Pad Thai

Home made shrimp Phat Si Io, also call pad see ew in Thai. It is noodles fried with soy sauce.

Thai food can be found in just about every part of the world these days, and pad Thai is one of the most popular dishes. Stir-fried rice noodles and a zesty sauce are the stars of the show here. Learn the basics of making this delectable dish below.

Gather the Ingredients

You can't hope to make pad Thai without the right ingredients. Make sure to have all of the following on hand before you get started:

10 ounces of Thai rice noodles

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1.5 cups of sliced chicken breast or thigh meat

Minced red chilies

3 chopped cloves of garlic

3 cups bean sprouts

3 sliced green onions

1/3 cup finely chopped peanuts

1/2 cup cilantro

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 cup chicken stock

vegetable oil

lime wedges

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

Up to 3 tablespoons chili sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

Prepare the Noodles

Fill a pot with water. When it reaches a boil, remove it from the heat. Soak the rice noodles in the water until they are still slightly crunchy. Drain them out and rinse them with cold water to keep them from cooking any more.

Prepare the Sauce

Combine the fish sauce, tamarind paste, brown sugar and chili sauce. Stir until everything is completely dissolved.

The brown sugar helps to counteract the sour taste of the tamarind paste, so don't skimp on it.

Marinate and Stir-Fry the Chicken

Mix together the cornstarch and the soy sauce. Pour it over the chicken slices and let them marinate. Pour the vegetable oil into the pan. Using medium-high heat, stir-fry the garlic and minced red chilies for about 30 seconds. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for an additional minute. Add chicken stock to keep things from getting too dry. Continue until the chicken is done, which could take up to eight minutes.

Add the Other Ingredients

Add the pad Thai sauce and the noodles to the pan. Stir-fry the noodles by lifting and turning them. You can use more oil if things get too dry; don't use more chicken stock because it can make the noodles soggy. Add the pepper and the bean sprouts and keep stir-frying. When the noodles become slightly sticky, they are done.

Enjoy Your Pad Thai

After the cooking is done, you can add more fish sauce until you achieve the right flavor. Sprinkle with coriander, nuts and green onions. Squeeze some lime juice on top for extra flair.

Stir-fried rice noodles and a zesty sauce are the stars of the show here