Pad Thai with Chicken and Tofu
I love Pad Thai! The flavors are so robust: Spicy! Salty! Sweet! Sour! Preparing this dish takes a little time, but it’s so much better than take-out (healthier, too, since this version is far less oily).
I started with a recipe from the “Tastes Better From Scratch“ website, but made several changes.
I don’t have a wok, so I chose to cook components separately before combining them in a big pot and allowing the flavors to mingle. Don’t skip drizzling some lime juice on the dish before it’s served. That burst of acidity elevates the favors! My only other tip would be to not oversoak your rice noodles. And don’t boil them either! They’ll fall apart as you’re mixing them and you’ll likely end up with a gluey texture. 😣
#Spicy #Dinner #Noodles #Asian
Pad Thai with Chicken and Tofu
I love Pad Thai! The flavors are so robust: Spicy! Salty! Sweet! Sour! Preparing this dish takes a little time, but it’s so much better than take-out (healthier, too, since this version is far less oily).
I started with a recipe from the “Tastes Better From Scratch“ website, but made several changes.
I don’t have a wok, so I chose to cook components separately before combining them in a big pot and allowing the flavors to mingle. Don’t skip drizzling some lime juice on the dish before it’s served. That burst of acidity elevates the favors! My only other tip would be to not oversoak your rice noodles. And don’t boil them either! They’ll fall apart as you’re mixing them and you’ll likely end up with a gluey texture. 😣
#Spicy #Dinner #Noodles #Asian
Cooking Instructions
- 1
Assemble and prepare all your ingredients as described in steps 2 - 6. Once you start cooking, you’ll need everything at your fingertips.
- 2
Make the sauce by combing the ingredients listed in the recipe. Whisk until smooth, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
- 3
Drain the tofu and press it to remove excess fluid:
🔹 Slice the tofu block in half horizontally.
🔹 Place one half of the tofu on a small dish lined with paper towels.
🔹 Put two folded paper towels on top of the tofu, followed by the other tofu half.
🔹 Place more paper towels on the top of the tofu. You should now have a towel/tofu/towel/tofu/towel tower. 🤪
🔹 Place something a little heavy (like a book or plate) on top of the tower.
🔹 Refrigerate this leaning tower of tofu for 30 minutes. - 4
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
OPTIONAL: If you want extra-tender chicken, toss the chicken with 3 teaspoons baking soda and let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature. Rinse the chicken well, then spread it onto a paper towel-lined plate to air dry for a few minutes.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- 5
Dice the onion and red bell pepper, cut the carrots into matchsticks, mince the garlic, whisk the eggs, and crumble the drained, pressed tofu.
- 6
Soak the rice noodles according to the package directions for stir-fry recipes.
Do not boil the noodles!
My noodles soaked for 30 minutes in hot (not boiling) water before I rinsed them.
The noodles were only moderately pliable at this point, but they will continue cooking in the sauce later.
- 7
Fry the chicken over medium heat using a neutral cooking oil (e.g. vegetable oil). Don’t crowd the pan.
Ensure that the chicken is fully cooked, then transfer it to a large pot.
- 8
Add a little more oil in the pan and add the crumbled tofu. Fry it, stirring often, until the tofu is more firm. This will only take about a minute over medium-low heat. It will not brown.
Transfer the cooked tofu to the large pot with the chicken.
- 9
Add a little more oil in the pan, and fry the onion for about 2 minutes, stirring often.
- 10
Add the red bell pepper and carrot to the pan.
Fry for another 2 or 3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute more.At this point, I added a healthy splash of Mirin (Japanese cooking wine), and covered the pan to steam the veggies until they were softer. You can use water instead of cooking wine, or you can just continue to cook the vegetables uncovered if you like.
Transfer the cooked veggies to the large pot containing the chicken and tofu.
- 11
Cook the eggs in sesame oil. You can cook them as a large sheet of eggs, and then cut them into strips, or you can scramble them. I chose to scramble them this time.
Transfer the cooked eggs to a clean bowl. (You’ll add them to the large pot last, after everything else has been cooked)
- 12
To the large pot (which now contains the chicken, veggies, and tofu), add the sauce.
Bring to a low boil, and reduce the heat so it simmers gently for a minute or two.
- 13
Add the rice noodles and toss gently to coat the noodles with the sauce. Let the mixture cook for about 4 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente.
OPTIONAL: The sauce may need some thickening. I made a slurry of 1.5 Tablespoons cornstarch plus 2 Tablespoons water and added it to the simmering mixture. I tossed the noodles gently but frequently while the mixture cooked.
- 14
Finally, add the egg mixture and toss the noodles again.
- 15
For the topping:
Crush the peanuts by using a rolling pin. (I store my crushed peanuts in the fridge to maintain freshness)
- 16
Serve the Pad Thai with the crushed peanuts, cilantro, sliced green onion, lime wedges, and extra chile garlic sauce.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. - 17
Notes:
🇹🇭 I chose to omit spicy ingredients in the sauce so that my young daughter could eat this dish. However, if you prefer spicy, start by adding one heaping tablespoon of chile garlic sauce to the sauce ingredients. Sriracha can also be used.
🇹🇭 Alternatively, you can provide the Chile garlic sauce separately and individual diners can make their dish as spicy as they like.
- 18
Notes:
🇹🇭 Other proteins can be used in this dish. Shrimp would be a great addition! Or, you can make it vegetarian by using only tofu.🇹🇭 Many Pad Thai recipes include bean sprouts. My family doesn’t like them, so I used carrots instead.
🇹🇭 If you have tamarind paste, use it in place of the rice vinegar for a more authentic flavor.
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