# Kookai’s Street Style Pad Thai

Thai recipe from Kookai, with Chef Jason McKinney, about 40 minutes, serves about 2.

Not the sweet orange airport version. Tamarind. Palm sugar. Dried shrimp. A wok that is actually hot.

- Total time: about 40 minutes (estimated)
- Hands-on: about 20 minutes
- Serves: about 2
- Level: Medium
- Cuisine: Thai
- Note: Includes a 30-minute noodle soak

## Ingredients

- 200g rice noodles (pad thai width), soaked
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste
- 3 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp dried shrimp, rinsed
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp preserved radish
- 2 eggs
- 200g shrimp or firm tofu
- a big handful bean sprouts
- a handful garlic chives, cut in 2-inch pieces
- ¼ cup peanuts, toasted and crushed
- 2 lime

## Method

1. Soak rice noodles in warm water 30 min. Drain.
2. Make the sauce: tamarind, palm sugar, fish sauce in a small pot. Warm until the sugar dissolves. Taste: salty-sour-sweet-funky.
3. Wok screaming hot. Oil. Shallots, garlic, preserved radish, dried shrimp. 30 sec.
   Chef's note: Apple watched me pre-heat for 90 seconds and shook her head. ‘Longer. Until the oil disappears.’
4. Push to one side. Eggs in the empty space. Scramble.
5. Noodles in. Pour sauce over. Toss with tongs, don’t stir. Sauce needs to cling.
6. Protein in. Quick toss. Bean sprouts + chives off-heat (they should stay crunchy).
7. Plate. Peanuts. Lime wedge. More chili if you want it.

## Other ideas

- **The full version.** Use fresh sen lek noodles, homemade tofu and prawns or chicken, with garlic chives, sliced cabbage, sweet preserved radish and crushed peanuts. Serve with lime wedges.
- **With chicken thighs.** Sear 1 pound of chicken thighs first, then finish with Thai basil and chili flakes.

## Tools

- Wok or large skillet, for high-heat stir frying
- Tongs or spatula, for tossing noodles
- Cutting board & knife, for aromatics

Film note: In the film, Kookai makes her sauce without tamarind. She uses pickled-garlic juice, coconut flower sugar, dark soy, a pinch of fish sauce, mushroom soy and a little chili ketchup. This written version keeps tamarind. Make it her way if you want it as she cooks it.

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Recipe page with photos and video: https://chefjasonmckinney.com/recipes/pad-thai-the-real-way
By Kookai, with Chef Jason McKinney. Free to cook; please link the page when you share it.