Ten years ago, I developed the best (my students say so) recipe for Phad Thai to teach and share with my students in the cooking class. Because it is a trade secret, I can not share that version with you. However, for my Thai food blog I am in search of Phad Thai recipes from the vendors and restaurant chefs in Thailand. The fascinating thing about Phad Thai is the ingredients. They are different from town to town and region to region. For example, in Korat one of the ingredients is salted soy beans, and in Phuket we use fresh rice noodles, “chow fun”. I hope you enjoy the discovery of Phad Thai with me.
My first step, I called my sister last week for her contribution to my blog; Phuket Phad Thai. From her e-mail, I copied her Thai barebone recipe down–this is how one Thai gives recipes to another Thai. To make a recipe work, you need to decode, experience, and record the version that you have come up with. Simply follow the principle of balancing sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. When I am done with decoding my sister’s recipe in my kitchen into an American-standard recipe, then I will share it with you in another blog entree. Please don’t wait for me, but try it on your own. I have included a slide show from a street vendor in Phuket taken a few years ago near Chalong Temple in Chalong District, Phuket, Thailand.
ผัดไทย
พริกใหญ่ แห้ง 1 ขีด แช่น้ำ
พริกเล็ก 1 กำ แช่น้ำ
กรเทียม 1 หัว
มะขามเปียก 1 กำ( แช่น้ำ ไม่เอาเม็ด)
เกลือ 1 ช้อนชา
น้ำตาล 3 ช้อนโต๊
นำทุกอย่างมาปันรวมกัน แล้วตั้งไฟเปาไฟ
แล้วตั้งให้เย็น เก็บในต้เย็น
วิธีทำ
เต๋ากั๋ว หั่นเป็นสีเหลียมลูกเต๋า แล้ว
ตั้งไฟ ใส่กุ้ง เต๋ากั่ว แล้ว ตีไข่ผัดกับเส้น จนเส้นนุ่ม ใส่น้ำผัดไทยวีอิ๋วดำ นิด น้ำปลา น้ำตาล ออกหลายแล้วตามด้วยถ้วงอก
กุ๋ยฉ่าย
Translation
Phad Thai
Sauce Large dried chili, 1/10 kg, soaked in water Small dried chili, 1 handful Garlic, 1 bulb Tamarind paste, 1 handful, soaked in water Salt, 1 teaspoon Sugar, 3 tablespoons Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Bring to boil in a pot. When it has cooled down, keep in the fridge.Stir-fry
Heat a wok, add cooking oil, shrimp, tofu, beat the egg to stir-fried noodles until the noodle is soft. Stir in Phad Thai sauce, a little bit of dark soy sauce, a little bit of fish sauce, sugar. Finish the stir-fry with bean sprout and garlic chives.
Phad Thai - Phuket, mobile vendor
Phad Thai Phuket at Chalong Temple
Final touch with bean spout and garlic chive
Note: Rudee Piboon is my sister who owns a wok-fast food restaurant in Thalang Phuket. She is a regular contributor, you will find her recipes and cooking demo at this food blog and the I Love Thai Cooking youtube channel. .
iLoveThaiCooking & Pranee's Thai Kitchen
Pranee's Thai Kitchen 
Those are really cool pictures of the “mobile vendor”.. I went to Thailand, and did not come across this.
And thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thank you! Yes, it is really fun to see different mobil vendors thought out the days. These are my favorite mobil vendor: ice-cream sandwitch, sticky rice in bamboo, and the breakfast one.
Pranee
Where and when is the next class that you will teach your recipe for Phad Thai?
With Dish It Up Magnolia on September 23 or Ballard November 10. Please check their schedule. Thank you and see you soon.
Pad – Thai is my favorite food. Thank you remind me to pad-thai.
[…] I’m not posting the recipes as they aren’t mine to share, but here’s a pad Thai recipe from Prawnee’s blog. […]