Shrimp Pad Thai - an Indian version

The fallen leaves all around our space of living and on our walking trails, tells us that winter is near our neck of the woods. Although I still want to believe and want to feel the warmth of summer sunshine eternally, but to be honest it seems a story from a far away land, perhaps from down under. But for that I have to travel many miles down under, now which seems nearly impossible for the time being.Anyhow there are other means to feel some warmth, one is eating a delicious warm bowl of Shrimp Pad Thai, reminding us of some tropical sun-shine and warmth.

To all who read My Blog's FB Page  updates, I had mentioned about many moons ago that I had made Pad Thai, but somehow that never made it up to here on the blog.

Today seems a nice day to write it about here with the half term holidays and Halloween, although it’s nothing spooky about it. The hotness and the taste coming from the stir/fried rice noodles with small shrimps and eggs, somehow makes the atmosphere little warmed up here. One can imagine a cozy evening with a bowl of freshly made Pad Thai and listening to some old Hindi music, a great way to warm up after all the illness for the past one month in one’s home. That's something I am thinking of doing in coming days, provided everything goes well again.

And top it all, that day; I cooked shrimps after a considerable gap of time. Although dear husband, skipped shrimp, so I avoided shrimp in his bowl. But we, mother and daughter duo liked it very much as we are fond of chingri/shrimp.

We don’t really eat shrimps frequently, but small cold water shrimps have a nice texture and flavor. Ask any Bengali he would go weak on his knees for all the - “golda” /”bagda” chingri/Tiger Prawns, “kucho chingri”/small shrimp and these are always relished in every Bengali home. This preparation with rice noodles or vermicelli really gets thumbs up from my daughter. Try it someday, kids will like it.

Shrimp Pad Thai noodles - an Indian version

Recipe requirements

• 200 Gms of fine rice noodles
• 2 -3 eggs
• 2 -3 cloves of garlic
• ½ tsp of ginger grated
• 1 purple onion finely chopped
• 2 cups of bean sprouts
• 1 cup of cooked small shrimp
• 1 tsp of red pepper powder
• 3 heaped tbs of tamarind pulp
• 3 heaped tbs of tomato ketch-up
• 4 heaped tbs of soya sauce
• 1 tsp of fish sauce
• 3 green chilies chopped
• ½ tsp of salt
• 1 tbs of sugar
• 5-6 tbs of cooking oil/sada tel

Method

• Soak the fine rice noodles in hot water for 10-15 mints or till turn just soft.Note- Super fine noodles requires less time than the medium rice noodles.I do like to use super fine noodles for Pad Thai, but many go with the traditional way of using medium noodles.Use as per your own likings.
• Marinate small shrimp in some salt and little turmeric powder, just enough to add some color to shrimp, otherwise if you don’t feel, don’t add them.
• Now heat up a saucepan at medium-high heat and 1tbs of cooking oil. Add in 2 eggs; stir/fry them breaking the egg yolks, and stir-frying them finely. Take out in a separate plate.
• Now add in 1 tbs of cooking oil, sauté shrimp at medium -high flame for 3-4 mints. Take them out in a plate.
• Fried eggs and fried shrimps will be added later on. Actually if you are comfortable then you can easily continue cooking them with noodles. I just thought it’s better to sauté them separately and add later on when the noodles are well fried, just prior of serving.
• At this time, add rest of the cooking oil, stir/fry the chopped garlic, ginger and onions for about 2-3 mints  at medium-high heat.Add in cooked noodles.Toss all well if you can and have a deep wok, otherwise just keep mixing without breaking the strands in a saucepan.
• Add in sugar, salt, fish sauce, tamarind pulp, tomato ketchup, and red pepper powder and soya sauce. If you like, mix the sauces-soya sauce, fish sauce, tamarind pulp, tomato ketch-up  and salt, sugar, red pepper powder in a bowl very well and then add this sauce to the fried noodles to coat well. Mix well with noodles. Note- Fish sauce is very salty, so it’s better to add less salt in the preparation. And use fish sauce carefully, too much and it will ruin the stir/fry.
• Add in bean sprouts and other vegetables if you wish to add like- green beans,bell pepper,mushroom, carrots etc.Keep on stir/fry at medium-high heat, tossing and stir/frying continuously.Note- Add in little bit of cooking oil approx- 2tbs of oil and 2tbs of water if all of them seems dry and starts to stick.
• Now add in fried eggs and fried shrimp, mix well, cooking it up at  medium flame.
• Taste and adjust sugar and salt or hotness. If you like some more spice and hotness then chop green chilies and sprinkle over the cooked noodles.
• Serve immediately and with a lemon wedge if you like even tangier pad Thai.Since I have added tamarind pulp, I don’t think lemon juice is required.
• Sprinkle chopped spring onions, some red chilly flakes or toasted peanuts enjoy this bowl of warm, spicy Thai Pad noodles.

Updated to add this recipe link -----

And here is a similar Pad Thai recipe with chicken at  My Kitchen Treasures..

Happy Cooking and enjoy Halloween.