Pad Thai with Chicken

‘I thought you said this was pad Thai,’ said my husband, before tasting.

‘It is.’

‘But pad Thai doesn’t have green beans in it.’

‘Why not?  This one does.’  But maybe next time it won’t.  It just depends what vegetables I have in the fridge.

That’s a typical conversation in our flat.   This dish has all the flavours of a delicious pad Thai, plus the delicious addition of green beans.  That’s how I look at it anyway.  The list of ingredients may be quite long but it really is quick and easy to make.  The green beans and green pepper are definitely optional.  The bean sprouts aren’t.  I used aduki bean sprouts as I’m experimenting with growing different types, but you can just use any bean sprouts.

I am sending this post to Presto Pasta Nights, this week hosted by Claudia at Honey From Rock.

Ingredients – serves 2

2 nests of dried noodles

150 g chicken, thinly sliced

2 handfuls of bean sprouts

4 green chillies, thinly sliced

2 spring onions

1/2 red onion

Small handful of green beans (optional)

1 green pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp dried shrimp, pounded to a powder or fish sauce

1 lime

1 handful of dried roasted peanuts

1 egg, beaten

How to make Pad Thai

1. In a pan with a small amount of hot water, dissolve the tamarind paste and sugar and add the dried pounded shrimps or fish sauce.

2. Heat some oil in a wok then stir fry the chicken.   As soon as it is cooked, remove from the pan.

3. Add all the vegetables and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Move the vegetables to the side and add the beaten egg.  Cook for about a minute then stir into the vegetables.

4. Drain the noodles and add to the wok, along with the bean sprouts, peanuts and chicken.  Add the sauce containing the tamarind and shrimps.  Heat through, stirring.  It should only take about a minute.

5. Divide between 2 plates and serve, squeezing lots of fresh lime juice over each plate.  Garnish with a little chopped spring onion.