Simple pad thai recipe
Pprepared from simple ingredients
Pad Thai is a traditional Thai one-pan dish made with stir-fried vegetables and rice noodles. It’s cooked quickly in a wok and is a popular street food in Thailand. You can even try it at places like Padthai Wokbar. I used to have lunch there quite often and loved that I could choose exactly what went into my bowl. My favorite was the chicken version with rice noodles and Japanese Teriyaki sauce (which contains no sugar). It’s a flavorful combination, freshly prepared, and the portion size is quite generous – usually more than I could finish. You can even calculate the nutritional value of your customized bowl using their calorie calculator. The chicken version I had came to 559 calories and contained 73 grams of carbohydrates. That doesn’t quite fit my diet, as I try to keep my lunch under 50 grams of carbs. That’s why I decided to make my own version at home. I did some research and created a homemade Pad Thai recipe. If you don’t feel like buying a bunch of unusual ingredients, I think you’ll love my version – give it a try!
Ingredients for pad thai for 2 people
Homemade Pad Thai Sauce – the DIY Way
I did some research on Pad Thai recipes, and this one seemed the most appealing to me. However, it called for some ingredients I wasn’t familiar with, such as fish sauce and tamarind sauce. I decided to skip those, because if I didn’t end up liking the taste, they’d probably just sit in my kitchen for years without being used.
I looked up what tamarind sauce actually is, and found that “Tamarind has a texture similar to plum jam, with a sweet-and-sour flavor. The sauce is made from the fruit of the tamarind tree.”
I took out my homemade apricot jam from the fridge – it’s sweetened with apple, xylitol, and erythritol. I thinned it out by mixing it with some hot water, then added sugar-free soy sauce and a bit of Piri-Piri chili (you can skip this if you don’t like spicy food). I won’t say it turned out exactly like traditional Pad Thai sauce, but it was delicious – nicely balanced between sweet and salty flavors. A splash of rice vinegar or lime juice could make the sweet-and-sour notes even more pronounced, but for me, it was a perfect flavor combination just as it was.
When using soy sauce, make sure to check the label – most soy sauces unfortunately contain sugar or fructose. Always read the ingredients!
Protein-rich topping
A good Pad Thai always needs a source of protein. For vegetarians or meat-free days, tofu, shrimp, or even sautéed mushrooms work perfectly. On days when you include meat, roasted duck or grilled chicken are great choices. I used some leftover roasted chicken breast for mine. Here’s the recipe:
Roasted chicken cubes (3 servings)
- 300 g chicken breast fillet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 g roasted chicken seasoning mix
I cut the chicken into cubes, and I mixed the olive oil with the seasoning and poured it over the chicken. After letting it marinate for 15 minutes, I cooked it in a hot pan until golden and done.
Fiber-rich roasted vegetables
The roasted vegetables are what make this dish truly delicious and rich in fiber. Carrots and different types of onions – whether red or spring onions – go perfectly together when sautéed with roasted garlic and ginger. The original recipe calls for pak choi, a type of cabbage, but I replaced it with kale. I really enjoy eating kale lightly sautéed. You should also try my recipe for Spaghetti with sautéed kale, ham, and feta!
You don’t need any special vegetables – just use what you typically have in a health-conscious kitchen. If you want to make it a bit fancier, you can add mung bean sprouts. The finished dish can be topped with fresh coriander. It’s often served with lime wedges and roasted peanuts, but honestly, your homemade Pad Thai will disappear in no time even without those extras. 🙂
Noodles
Egg noodles work well too, but rice noodles are a quick and easy choice since you only need to pour hot water over them –they’re ready to add to the dish in minutes. There are many types of rice noodles; I personally prefer the wide ones, as they soak up the sauce much better.
What should you cook it in?
The best option is to prepare it in a wok. If you don’t have one, a large frying pan will do just fine.
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Simple pad thai recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small (35 g) onion (red onion or spring onion is also fine)
- 2 (4 g) garlic
- 5 g fresh ginger
- 100 g kale leaf
- 80 g carrots
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing
- 50 g wide rice noodles
- water in which you cook the pasta
For homemade pad thai sauce:
- 60 g apricot jam with apple, sweetened with xylitol and erythritol (or sugar-free apricot jam)
- 70 ml hot water
- 30 ml sugar-free soy sauce (e.g., Kikkoman or Tao Tao brands)
For chicken (3 servings)
- 300 g chicken breast fillet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 g roast chicken spice mix
Instructions
- Dice the chicken. Mix the olive oil with the roasted chicken seasoning in a bowl, then pour over the chicken and mix. Leave to stand for 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
- Chop the onion, garlic, and fresh ginger. Cut the carrots into matchstick-sized pieces. Cut the washed cabbage leaves into finger-sized slices. Place the prepared ingredients near the stove.
- Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl and place it near the stove.
- Beat the eggs and place them in a bowl, season with salt – this should also be at hand.
- Fry the prepared chicken breast in a hot pan until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside while you fry the vegetables.
- Drizzle a little olive oil into the pan and add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Fry until golden brown, then add the carrots and cabbage leaves. Season lightly with salt and fry all the vegetables, stirring frequently.
- Move the sautéed vegetables to one side and pour the eggs into the pan. Stir to cook, then mix with the vegetables. Add the reserved chicken breast.
- The rice noodles only need to be boiled in salted water. I heat water in a kettle, then pour it into a saucepan, add salt and put in the dry noodles. I boil it once more and it's ready. I strain it and mix it with the chicken and vegetables.
- Once the pasta has been added, pour the mixed sauce over it. Heat it through and serve immediately, as it will quickly absorb the sauce.
Calories and macros
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