Pad Thai
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Noodles
Pad Thai is a Thai dish which is basically made of stir-fried rice noodles (the flat variety) with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and cilantro. It is normally served with a piece of lime. It is very common in many Thai restaurants but the best Pad Thai thatI had tasted before was the one cooked by my hubby's Thai friend during our sons' baptismal more than 2 years ago, The combination of ingredients was very perfect, not too sour nor too sweet and he used only few amount of nuts. I tried to cook one last night and wow, I think I made it! LOL :)

Ingredients:
250 g dried rice noodles, 1/8 inch
warm water
200 g shrimps, peeled leaving the tails on
100 4 chicken breast, flakes into small pcs.
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup tamarind juice/white vinegar
2 tbsp. white sugar
1 tbsp. tomato paste/catsup
250 g mung bean sprouts
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks green onions, sliced diagonally about 1 inch long
1/4 cup cooking oil or more
2 tbsp. ground roasted chilies
1/4 cup ground roasted cashew nuts
1 lemon, sliced

Directions:
1. Soak noodles for 15 minutes in enough warm water to cover until flexible but not so soft. Drain.
2. Mix the fish sauce, sugar, vinegar/tamarind juice in a bowl, stir until the sugar is dissolved, and set aside.
3. Heat a wok or non-stick frying pan, add 1/4 cup of oil, add the garlic and stir-fry until
golden. Add shrimps and chicken, stir-fry until cooked. Add the noodles and toss lightly to coat them with oil and to mix well.
4. Add the fish sauce mixture and bring to a boil rapidly, gently folding the noodles without breaking them. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to boil, folding frequently, until the noodles have absorbed the liquid.
5. Lift the noodles gently from one side of the wok or pan. Pour in a little oil, break 1 egg, and slip it in the oil. Break the yolk, and cover the egg with the noodles immediately. Repeat this on the opposite side of the wok with the remaining egg. Allow the eggs to cook undisturbed, over moderate heat, until they are set and almost dry. Additional oil may be added if the eggs or the noodles begin to stick to the wok/pan. When the eggs are set and almost dry, fold them gently but rapidly into the noodles. Try not to break the noodles.
6. Add the bean sprouts and sliced green onions and toss the entire mixture quickly and gently, without breaking the noodles. Cook about 2 minutes.
7. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle ground chilies and cashew nuts over the top and squeeze lemon juice over that. Serve.