ਪਾਲਕ ਪਨੀਰ // [paːlɐkɐ pɐniːrɐ] // Paa-luck-uh Puh-nee-ruh
Cottage Cheese Cubes, in Spinach Sauce
ORIGIN Punjab || India TAGS vegetarian, spinach, paneer, cottage cheese, mild, india, north india, punjab
Pad Thai - the dish that many people unfamiliar with Thai cuisine tend associate with Thailand's culinary landscape. However, that couldn't be further from the truth! This dish was said to been concocted by the country's prime minister in the late 1930s, when the nation first changed its name from Siam to Thailand. Noodle dishes in Thai cuisine were usually a legacy of historical Chinese influence. When nationalism was souring, this dish was first imagined to boost pride in Thailand's own culinary genius, and therefore heavily features quintessential South-East Asian ingredients, like, tamarind and fish sauce. It soon developed into a street food, popular across the country, spreading from Bangkok in Central Thailand.
.This dish was said to been concocted by the country's prime minister in the late 1930s, when the nation first changed its name from Siam to Thailand.
Pad Thai is not particularly spiced for heat. The sauce is a perfect blend of sweet (palm sugar), salty (fish sauce), and sour (tamarind pulp). The aromatics - garlic and shallots - also found in Thai curry pastes - lay the base for the stir-fry of rice noodles. These rice noodles are available dried and need to be soaked adequately before stir-frying. Though hard to source without an Asian grocery store nearby, the sweetened preserved daikon radish adds more texture and pungency in every bite. The dried shrimp add a burst of umami. Asian garlic chives have a mild taste and get wilted during the stir-fry. Mixed in with juicy and crunchy mung bean sprouts, this noodle dish is like taking a bite of heaven!
Served usually with more chives and sprouts on the side, the noodles are topped with seared shrimp (the original recipe), crushed roasted peanuts and with fresh lime juice squeezed in. Add in the chili flakes to cut the sweetness, and prepare for love-at-first-bite! Pad Thai is by no means a healthy dish, but it is an indulgence that we can afford once in a while, so don't skimp on the oil during cooking, otherwise you will get a clumpy noodle mess.
Pad Thai can also be made with fork-sized cuts of chicken, pork, or beef. Stir-fry them until cooked, just like you would with the shrimp. Buy the tamarind pulp or paste from your local Asian grocery store. It is usually sold in can-sized plastic bottle, with salt and preservatives. Do not use the Indian tamarind concentrate, as it is not applicable for this dish. Alternatively, you could try to source dried and seeded tamarind is available in Indian grocery stores. Soak a fistful of dried tamarind in boiling hot water for at least 30 minutes, then use a strainer to get the pulp or juice. It should have a thick consistency.
"Substitutes for the other ingredients will definitely alter the flavour profile, and it will not be real Pad Thai. However, that should not stop you from attempting this dish. Do not skip the tamarind pulp, if you can help it."
On a final note, the yellow tinge on the noodles will be due to the palm sugar. If you're using a different type of sugar, the hue may be quite different. White rice noodles get easily stained, so a pinch of turmeric powder can do the trick (definitely not endorsed by Thailand!).
SERVINGS: 2
PREPARATION: 30 minutes
COOKING: 10 minutes
EQUIPMENT || saucepan, baking tray, wok, mortar & pestle ||
INGREDIENTS
Sauce
3 tbsp. tamarind pulp
2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. shaved palm sugar
4 tbsp. water
Stir-Fry
3 - 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
250 g or 9 oz. shrimp
2 large eggs
200 g or 7 oz. dried rice noodles
60 g or 2 oz. pressed tofu
2 medium cloves garlic
1 & 1/2 shallots
1/3 preserved sweet radish
2 tbsp. dried shrimp
20 stems Asian garlic chives
150 g or 5 oz. mung bean sprouts
60 g or 2 oz. shelled, skinned peanuts
1 whole lime
2 tsp. red chilli flakes optional
DIRECTIONS
DO THIS FIRST! DO NOT SKIP! Use 12" baking tray, if available. Lay rice noodles flat on tray. Add lukewarm water, enough to submerge noodles. Let noodles soak of at least 40 minutes. Clean and devein shrimp, if needed. If using frozen shrimp, defrost completely.
To small saucepan on medium low heat, add 4 tbsp. water, add remaining sauce ingredients. Stir for 3 minutes until sugar starts to dissolve. Remove from heat.
Peel and mince garlic and shallots. Mince preserved radish. Chop dried shrimp to smaller pieces. Wash and chop garlic chives in half. Wash and dry bean sprouts. Slice tofu into 1/2" (1.2 cm) cubes. If using raw peanuts, toast on medium with stirring for 7 minutes. Skip if using roasted peanuts. Lightly pound peanuts to medium-sized chunks. Slice lime into wedges.
Heat wok on medium high, add 2 tbsp. oil, and sear shrimp until pink, curled, and cooked. Remove from heat and keep aside. Add remaining oil to work on medium, add garlic, shallots, preserved radish, dried shrimp and stir-fry until fragrant for 2 minutes. Fully drain and add noodles to wok. Add1 tbsp. more oil if wok looks dry. Turn heat to medium high, add sauce and stir-fry until all sauce is absorbed. Then, push noodles aside, crack and add eggs. Let eggs settle for 20 seconds, and then scramble and mix well with noodles. Add half of chopped garlic chives, and half of bean sprouts and mix once.
Remove from heat. Plate immediately. Portion equally. Place cooked shrimp on top of noodles. Top with crushed peanuts. Serve with remaining chives and sprouts, chill flakes, lime wedges.
NOTES: If pressure cooker is not being used, lentils must be softened by soaking to reduce cook time. Otherwise, use slow cooker for rinsed lentils on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Add at least 2 & 1/2 times more water than lentils when measured in cups. "Buy a pressure cooker, you will not be disappointed in its utility!" - NK
SUBSTITUTIONS & OMISSIONS
fish sauce : light soy sauce or vegan fish sauce
palm sugar : brown sugar
shrimp : any firm protein
egg : skip for vegan recipe
firm tofu : skip (DO NOT USE SOFT TOFU)
shallot : small red onion
preserved sweet radish : skip
dried shrimp : a pinch of MSG
Asian garlic chive : green onion or scallion (green part)
peanut : cashew
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