Pad Thai with Shrimp, Tofu, and Mung Beans

Makes 4 servings
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 30 minutes

This classic dish is easy to prepare at home. With rice noodles be sure to use a nonstick skillet to reduce the amount of oil needed to prevent noodles from sticking together too much. Medium rice stick look like linguini in shape only.

1 cup tamarind concentrate
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup palm sugar
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small pressed tofu cake, thinly sliced
4 large eggs
1 pound medium rice sticks, soaked in water until pliable and divided into 4 portions
2 cups chicken stock
24 small to medium fresh headless tiger shrimp, peeled, deveined, and poached
1-1/2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced diagonally
1/2 cup crushed unsalted, roasted peanuts
8 cilantro sprigs
2 limes, quartered

In a bowl, whisk together the tamarind concentrate, fish sauce, and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Divide the tamarind sauce into 4 portions (1/2 cup).

In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil and stir-fry the pressed tofu slices. Transfer to a plate.

In the same skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over low-medium heat, add the eggs, and stir to lightly scramble. Both white and yellow part of the eggs should be clearly visible. Once cooked transfer the scrambled eggs to a plate.

In the same skillet, and working in individual batches, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat, add one portion of rice sticks and 1/2 cup chicken stock with 1/2 cup tamarind sauce. Stir and cook until the noodles have absorbed all of the liquid. Add 1/4 of the scrambled eggs, pressed tofu, 6 shrimp, and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute or so. Transfer to a plate. Garnish with some mung bean sprouts, scallions, peanuts, 2 cilantro sprigs, and 2 lime wedges. Repeat 3 more times.