Pad Thai

Fresh basil is, in my humble lil' opinion, essential for good pad thai :)

What kind of basil do you use? Isn't there a Thai basil that is spicier than the basil one tends to see in stores? I've looked for it with no luck.

I tried to make Pad Thai once and failed miserably.

My own versions of pad that have been failures in the sense that they have not tasted like the pad thai I get in restaurants (probably because I haven't used lemongrass or tamarind!)...but I've had great pad thai in restaurants that has used both thai basil and regular basil.

Now I really want some pad thai!!!

Mmmm....me too!

Wheewh that was easy, I finally joined after stalking the test kitchen for a week. Now, let the games begin!

ISA, found this on the web...may be a good jumping point.

http://www.bangkokthai.com/Welcome-to-Bangkok-Thai/padtofu.html

And I have no idea why Isa was in all caps...maybe because I just finished an ISO audit...

PROMISE RING. Just wanted to cap you.

in place of fish sauce...
a dark red or brown miso, thinned with braggs or a good tamari, and with a tiny dash of a light vinegar.

Hi! First comment to this community.

This is my recipe for Pad Thai. I started with a recipe for vegetarian Pad Thai that I found on the WeightWatchers.com forums, but I've changed it drastically over the past two years. Alas, it doesn't taste just like the restaurant stuff in my opinion, but it's good in its own right and my husband swears he likes mine better (he's biased, though).

Though I have an interest in vegan cooking, we are vegetarian, not vegan, so let me know if any of the ingredients send up red flags for you. To the best of my knowledge, it should all be vegan.

As for the basil question above, a lot of stores here in Seattle sell Thai Basil but usually I just end up buying the regular stuff because I can buy a larger package and use it in a few different dishes. Thai Basil would be more authentic, I'm sure. Maybe I'll have to plant some in my new garden, just for Pad Thai and Thai curries. =)

Sauce:
2 T Vietnamese chili garlic sauce
1/4 cup each soy sauce and fresh squeezed lime juice
2 T tamarind paste and rice wine vinegar
1 T red curry paste
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp each ginger “juice” (or use grated fresh ginger) and toasted sesame oil

1 bunch green onions, sliced, or one onion, finely chopped
Optional vegetables: carrots, zucchini, cabbage, whatever you have on hand
1 to 3 packages tofu, fried tofu, and/or “chicken-style” seitan, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
One package mung bean sprouts
1 cup or so basil leaves, sliced into strips (optional; cilantro also appropriate)

1. Bring some water to boil on the stove. Add the noodles and cook until soft but not mushy. Drain the noodles and rinse them in cold water to avoid overcooking them.

2. Combine the ingredients for the sauce. Put them in the microwave for a minute to melt the peanut butter and then whisk to a uniform consistency.

3. Heat oil in large skillet and saute vegetables, tofu (and/or seitan) until cooked (if some vegetables need more cooking than others, add the ones that take longer first so that the others won’t be overcooked).

4. Add the peanuts to the pan.

5. Toss in noodles and sauce (and basil, if using) and mix well. Heat through. Add the bean sprouts. Mix well and allow the sprouts to come up to temperature without wilting them.