Thai Preserved Sweet Radish Substitute Recipes

HOW TO MAKE AUTHENTIC PAD THAI

Steps:

• Soak the noodles in hot tap water until they are tender enough to easily twist around the tines of a fork but still have a tiny bit of bite to them, about 10 minutes.
• While the noodles soak, prep all other ingredients as follows and set them beside the stovetop:Tofu - slice into thin 1-inch long rectangles.Pickled Radish / Turnip - If coated in salt or sugar, rinse the pickled radish or turnip under cool water. Chop into small pieces if not already minced.Garlic - Mince.Shrimp - Peel and devein the shrimp (if not already done), leaving the tails on. Lightly season with salt and pepper.Chinese chives - Chop the top half of each stalk into 1-inch lengths. Reserve the bottom halves for garnish.Peanuts - Finely chop and divide in half. Set half aside to serve as a garnish.Lime - Slice into wedges.Set the egg, bean sprouts, Pad Thai sauce (make sure you have 1/2 cup measured out as well as extra sauce ready in case you need it), and vegetable oil beside the stovetop.
• When the noodles are tender, rinse and drain them.
• Place a large wok (or large skillet) over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp of oil and when it begins to shimmer, add the noodles and 1/2 cup of Pad Thai Sauce. Saute, stirring constantly, until the noodles are warmed through and coated in sauce, 1 minute.
• Move the noodles to one side of the pan and add 1 Tbsp of oil, tofu, pickled radish, garlic and shrimp. Saute just until the shrimp is pink on the outside (it will continue cooking as you add additional ingredients to the pan), 2 minutes. Stir to combine all of the ingredients. If the noodles look dry, at this point, add a couple tablespoons of additional Pad Thai Sauce.
• Create a well in the center of the pan and add the egg. Scramble the egg until fully cooked and toss to combine all of the ingredients.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the bean sprouts, chopped chives, and peanuts. Squeeze juice from one of the lime wedges over the top of the noodles.
• Transfer to serving plates and top with more peanuts and the reserved Chinese chive stems. Serve immediately with all of the garnishes listed above, so that everyone can adjust to their taste at the table.

SWEET PICKLED DAIKON RADISH

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat add the vinegar, water, sugar, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
• Meanwhile, peel the daikon radish and slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds. (If your daikon is very large, slice the rounds into semicircles.) Place in a colander with salt and mix well. Place the colander over a bowl and let drain for 1 hour. Rinse the salt off with a couple of changes of water and dry the daikon well. Put into a sterilized glass jar. Pour the cooled brine through a coffee filter (or a cheesecloth lined strainer) into the jar to cover the radish slices. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Will keep for about 2 weeks.

AUTHENTIC PAD THAI RECIPE

Steps:

• Add palm sugar to a small pot and melt over medium heat. Once the sugar is melting, keep stirring until it darkens in colour (see video for colour). Immediately add water, fish sauce, and tamarind paste. The sugar will harden immediately and this is okay.
• Bring sauce to a simmer, then turn off heat. The hardened sugar will not have dissolved at this point, but let it sit while you prep other ingredients and it should be dissolved by the time you need it. Check that it is dissolved before you start cooking!
• Cut drained noodles once with scissors so they are half as long. This makes them easier to toss and separate in the wok.
• In a bowl, combine tofu, garlic, shallots, preserved radish, dried shrimp, and chili flakes.
• Heat a wok or a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add just enough oil to coat the bottom. Sear shrimp, or whatever protein you're using, until done and remove them from pan.
• In the same wok over medium heat, add a little more oil if needed, then add everything in the tofu bowl and sauté for a few minutes until garlic starts to turn golden and shallots are wilted. If the wok looks dry, add a little more oil. (Don't skimp on oil otherwise the noodles will clump up together.)
• Turn heat up to high then add noodles and sauce. Keep tossing until all the sauce is absorbed.
• Once sauce is absorbed, you can turn off the heat and taste the noodles for doneness. If they're still undercooked, add a little more water and continue cooking, being careful not to add too much water!
• Once noodles are done, push them to one side of the pan. Add add little extra oil to the empty space and add eggs. Break the yolks, then put noodles on top of eggs and cook for about 30 seconds. Flip and toss to mix eggs into noodles.
• Toss the cooked protein back in, plus any collected juices. Then add bean sprouts, garlic chives and half of the peanuts. Turn off the heat and toss until well mixed.
• Serve immediately with a lime wedge and extra peanuts on top. For a classic presentation you can add a little extra side of bean sprouts and some garlic chives garnish.
• Be sure to squeeze a bit of lime on top before eating!