Asian cuisine is one of my favorites to eat and to cook. If you know me, you know that I love hot and spicy, the hotter the better. I love the bold herbs and spices along with the sweet and sour aspects of Asian dishes; the way polarizing ingredients are used to interestingly create a satisfying balance of flavors always leaves me satisfied and then craving more in no time.
Pad Thai is basically a classic stir-fry of rice noodles that requires little time and usually comes together in less than 30 minutes. This common street-food is a low-cost, budget-friendly dish that easily feeds a crowd on a shoestring.
This is an easy but fast-moving dish, so be sure to have everything chopped and ready to go before you begin.
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 to 4), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1½ teaspoons rice-wine vinegar
- 3½ tablespoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¾ pound linguine
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- ⅔ cup salted peanuts, chopped fine
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- ½ cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
- In a medium bowl, combine the fish sauce, water, 1½ tablespoons lime juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne; set aside.
- In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook linguine until al-dente, about 12 minutes. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook, stirring often, until just done, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel lined dish; set aside.
- Put the remaining oil in the pan, add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, do not brown or burn.
- Immediately add the pasta and fish-sauce mixture.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Stir in the cooked chicken.
- Remove from heat. Stir in remaining lime juice, bean sprouts, and half the cilantro.
- Garnish with remaining peanuts and cilantro.
- Serve Immediately.
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