Peanut Butter Pad Thai

I'm not going to pretend that this is even close to the traditional form of Pad Thai, because I've seen the youtube comments towards those professing to create the dish, and it seems to be a controversial subject.

For those who have no opinion, let alone awareness of the delicacy, wikipedia declares that Pad Thai is a combination of rice noodles, shrimp and tofu stir-fried in tamarind, egg, beansprouts and chopped peanuts.

My version contains the key ingredients of rice noodles (vermicelli) and egg, but I have swapped the seafood for chicken and added a few extra things I had in the fridge.

Authentic or not, it worked out well and the recipe was worth remembering. As usual the ingredients are interchangeable and open to interpretation, I'd love to hear about your attempts!

Serves 2:

1.Noodles
150g Rice Noodles

Add nest to bowl of boiling water, set aside

2.Sauce
60 ml fish sauce
60 ml toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp tamarind paste
3 splashes soy sauce
Cap full cider vinegar
1 tsp each minced garlic, ginger, chilli
Pinch hot chilli powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp peanut butter

Add all ingredients to mug, microwave for 20 secs to melt PB, stir and set aside.

3.Chicken
Splash toasted sesame oil
1/2 chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced chilli
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Few mills black pepper
2 eggs

Bring wok to high heat with oil and add chicken and seasonings. Fry until white and push to side of the wok. Crack eggs into center and let cook for around one minute. Scramble for another minute and add:

4.Veg
1/4 savoy cabbage, shredded
8 baby button mushrooms, halved
1 carrot, julienned or chopped thinly
1/2 chopped romaine lettuce
Small handful pumpkin seeds

Continue to fry in wok for around 5 mins until veg is softened but not mushy. Keep eggs to the side to prevent overcooking.

5.Garnish

Add sauce to wok and heat for around 2 mins. Serve into bowls with extra black pepper, a pinch of fresh coriander and a wedge of lime.


I've split the steps and ingredients up like this to make the dish look less intimidating, As a long list this looks a bit daunting but it really is simple and comes together in less than around half an hour, including chopping time. For an easy-to-refer-to infographic, here is the photo of my plan for this post:

Without a doubt the best curry I've ever made.

Completely stolen from BBC Good Food.

I normally gravitate away from home-cooked curry and towards the take-away variety, for the well known reason that it's just not the same. While creation in a saucepan from a spoonful of paste, chopped vegetables and diced chicken is time-efficient, flavours are generally disappointing. On noticing my purchase of a box of Taste the Difference chicken thighs & drumsticks (£1.19 from £4.75 in the reduced section), my housemate shared this recipe with me for which, due to our impressive spice rack, I only needed a few extra items. 

Action shot

 Marinade:

• 2 chicken thighs cut into two (or 4 and omit drumsticks)
• 2 chicken drumsticks
• 120g yoghurt
• 2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 3 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp garam masala
• drizzle of oil

Oven 200ºC. Make cuts in the chicken pieces with a corrugated knife to help the marinade absorb. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl then pour over the chicken in a dish lined with foil, making sure each piece is coated. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. Roast the chicken for around 15 minutes, turning halfway to ensure even browning. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked as it will be added to the sauce later. Set aside and keep the juices. 

 

Sauce:

• 2 tins plum tomatoes
• 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled, half crushed and half finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• 80g butter, diced
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthways (I used a smallish one and a large green birdseye)
• 3 tbsp coconut cream/single cream (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp fenugreek
• ½ tsp garam masala
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, to garnish
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Place the tomatoes in a pan with 125ml/4fl oz water, the crushed ginger, garlic, cardamom and bay leaf. Simmer until just before the boil and blend with a hand blender in the pan. Add the chilli powder and simmer for 12-15 minutes. It should slowly begin to thicken. When the sauce turns glossy, add the chicken pieces and the cooking juices. Pour in a cup of water and simmer for about 3-5 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the sauce returns to its original glossy consistency. Slowly whisk in the butter, a couple of pieces at a time, and simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is beginning to acquire a glaze. Add the chopped ginger, green chillies and cream and simmer for a minute or two longer, taking care that the sauce doesn't split. Stir in the salt, fenugreek leaves and garam masala, then check the seasoning. 

Serve on a bed of basmati rice (100g per person) and garnish with fresh coriander. Excitedly run  around the kitchen exclaiming 'it looks like a REAL curry!'

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