Pad Thai

Yield:

• 3 servings

Time:

• 40 minutes

Difficulty:

• Moderate 

Ingredients

• 160 g /  6oz dried rice sticks
  
  
• 1½ tbsp tamarind puree (not concentrate)
• 3 tbsp (packed) brown sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce 
• 1 ½ tbsp oyster sauce 
  
  
• 2 – 3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
• ½ onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• 150 g/5oz protein (chicken, shrimp, or tofu) 
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 1½ cups of beansprouts
• ½ cup firm tofu, cut into 3cm /1¼ ″ batons
• ¼ cup garlic chives, cut into 3cm /1¼″ pieces
• ¼ cup finely chopped peanuts
  
  
• Lime wedges (essential)
• Ground chilli or cayenne pepper (optional)
• More beansprouts

Instructions

1. Place noodles in a large bowl, pour over boiling water till covered. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain in a colander and quickly rinse under cold water. (Don’t leave sitting for > 10 minutes.)
2. Mix sauce in small bowl.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan (or well seasoned skillet) over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add protein and cook for 1½ minutes until mostly cooked through.
5. Push to one side of the pan, pour egg in on the other side. Scramble using the wooden spoon (add touch of extra oil if pan is too dry), then mix into chicken.
6. Add bean sprouts, tofu, noodles then sauce.
7. Toss gently for about 1½ minutes until sauce is absorbed by the noodles.
8. Add garlic chives and half the peanuts. Toss through quickly then remove from heat.
9. Serve immediately, sprinkled with remaining peanuts and lime wedges on the side, with a sprinkle of chilli and a handful of extra beansprouts on the side if desired 
10. Squeeze over lime juice to taste before eating.
    

Notes:

• Can substitute peanut butter for peanuts.  Soften with boiling water and whisk into sauce.
• I prefer to first cook egg into thin pancake, and then slide out of pan and slice into thin strips, adding before last toss.
• Noodle texture will be superior if you use lukewarm rather than boiling water, and soak for 1 hour rather than 10 minutes. 
• If you can't find garlic chives, substitute with scallions and increase to 3 cloves of garlic.

Variations:

• For more authentic (i.e., not Westernized) version, substitute red shallot for onion and 50 g of dried shrimp for oyster sauce, reduce brown sugar to 1 tbsp (and use palm sugar if you can get it), increase fish sauce, and add 1 tsp white vinegar. Also sprinkle with 1 tsp white sugar before serving.
  

Source: Based on https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-pad-thai/, with a few variations.