Phad Thai Kung Sod

Ingredients:

Narrow rice noodles	300 grams
Prawns, shelled	5 each
Eggs	3 each
Bean sprouts	500 grams
Cake soybean curd, cut into small slivers	1 each
Chinese leek leaves	50 grams
Lime, whole	1 each
Pickled white radish, chopped	50 grams
Peanuts, roasted and ground	½ cup
Dried chilies, ground	1 teaspoon
Shallots, chopped	1 tablespoon
Garlic, chopped	1 tablespoon
Sugar	4 tablespoons
Tamarind juice or vinegar	4 tablespoons
Sauce	3 tablespoons
Cooking oil	½ cup

Directions:

• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and sauté garlic and shallots. When its color turns yellow, add the noodles softened with little water, and fry, turning constantly with a spatula to prevent the noodles from sticking to the pan. Move the noodles to a side of the pan.
• Pour 3 tablespoons of oil into the pan. When hot, fry prawns, pickled white radish, bean curd, and dried chilies, sugar, tamarind juice or vinegar and fish sauce and bring back the noodles to the pan, mix thoroughly, and move to the side of the pan.
• Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into the pan. When heated, break eggs into the pan and scramble with the spatula, spreading the egg in a thin layer over the pan. When set, bring back the noodles and mix together. Add half of the bean sprouts and the Chinese leek leaves and mix together.

Correct Characteristics of Phad Thai:

Noodle used for cooking Phad Thai must be tender and not broken. This dish must taste moderate, not sweet, sour or salty, but be fragrant and not greasy. According to a traditional recipe, dried shrimps are used in cooking this dish, but fresh shrimps or chicken meat are used in place of dried shrimps according to a modern recipe.

Cooking Tips:

• Cooking Phad Thai needs a lot of cooking oil, but not all at once. Cooking oil should be added little by little whenever noodles are too dry while on the heat. The whole portion of oil must not be used if the noodles are not dry.
• Ready-to-use Phad Thai Dip can be cooked with ingredients stated in the recipe, cooked until rich and kept in containers with tightly closed lids for use. About 3-4 tablespoons of ready-to-cook Pad Thai Dip should be used with 100 grams of noodles.
• Sprinkle water onto noodles until soft before adding the dip. If dry noodles are used, soak the noodles in water approximately for 15 minutes until soft before cooking. Small and thin noodles are preferable because they are not easy to break or become mushy.
• Only mature parts of banana blossoms should be used, halved, sprinkled with lime, finely chopped and soaked in lime juice so the color will not turn dark.
• Move the noodles to one side of the pan when adding eggs. Wait until the eggs are nearly cooked to mix the noodles with the eggs.

Eating Culture:

Phad Thai is a popular dish for lunch. For fusion eating, Pad Thai is wrapped with an egg roll, which is called "Phad Thai Hor Khai". Woon Sen (transparent bean noodles) can be used in place of narrow noodles.

How to Serve:

Spoon Phad Thai onto serving plates and sprinkle with ground peanuts. Serve with bean sprouts and Chinese leek leaves. Serve as the main meal (one plate per person).

Recipe Variations:

Phad Thai Hor Khai
Woon Sen Phad Thai

Name Derivative :

Khew Tiew Phad Thai is named according to its cooking method – Phad (frying) – and its major ingredient – Khew Tiew (noodles).

Nutritional and Medicinal Properties of Herbs used in Phad Thai:

Gratiem (Garlic)

Use : Almost all Thai dishes - soups, curries, salads, sauces and pan-fried dishes – contain garlic.
Medicinal properties : Cures and prevents atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, aids digestion, relieves cold symptoms, fights some intestinal parasites, helps heal wounds, fights infections, strengthens heart, and clears chest congestion.

Hua Hom (Shallots)

Use : Shallots are ingredients of all kinds of curry pastes, hot sauces and salads.
Medicinal properties : Aids digestion, relieves cold symptoms, increases appetite, and regulates menstruation.

Prik Kee Noo (Fresh hot Chili Peppers)

Use : Hot chili peppers give the uniquely hot taste and aroma of Thai cooking. It is the star ingredient of most dishes. Almost every dish will taste better with a small addition of these tiny hot chili peppers. Tom Yam and Tom Kha cannot be made without them.
Medicinal properties : Relieves diarrhea, stimulates digestion and the heat, increases blood flow to taste buds and thus increases appetite, relieves infection, dissolves blood clod, and prevents intestinal cancer.

Nam Makham Piak (Tamarind Paste)

Use : Tamarind paste can be used in place of lime juice. It is an essential ingredient of Kaeng Khua, Tom Khlong and some spicy salad, which require sweet and sour flavours. It lends a beautiful colour to Tom Khlong.
Medicinal properties : Prevents and relieves constipation, relieves cold symptoms i.e. coughing, runny nose, and sore throat, and relieves indigestion, loss of appetite and tastelessness.

Nam Manao (Lime Juice)

Use : as ingredient in Yam, Tom Yam and Kaeng Som and also as beverage.
Medicinal properties : Relieves coughs, sore throat, swollen gum, tooth bleeding, constipation, dizziness, the lack of Vitamin C, and phlegm.