Shrimp Pad Thai on the Lighter Side

I've been a huge fan of Rasa Malaysia for many years and recently Bee and I have become friends. Bee spent a few months traveling Thailand and when she returned I asked if she could guest post making a Skinnier version of a Thai Classic. Pad Thai is probably my most requested makeover, so who better than to have Bee give us her authentic version with a lighter touch! Vegetarians, leave out the shrimp and add more tofu or add more veggies!

Hi there, I’m Bee from Rasa Malaysia, a website about easy Asian cooking. I’m also the cookbook author of Easy Chinese Recipes (Tuttle, September 2011) — one of the best-selling Chinese cookery books on Amazon. First of all, I wanted to thank Gina for giving me the opportunity to guest post on Skinnytaste and share my Pad Thai recipe with you. I’m very honored—and thrilled—to grace this space, and I hope you like what I have to share with you here.

I love Thai food so there is no surprise that I’m a big fan of Pad Thai, or Thai stir-fried rice noodles. If you have dined at Thai restaurants, I’m sure you have had Pad Thai. Pad Thai is quite possibly the most famous dish outside of Thailand.

Thai cuisine is prized for its perfect balance of the four main tastes: hot, sour, salty, and sweet. Pad Thai is no exception. The spiciness of this noodle dish comes from the use of chili powder while the tartness comes from tamarind. The saltiness of most Thai food comes from fish sauce, or nam pla, while palm sugar lends the sweetness to the overall dish. For this recipe, I opted to use vinegar in lieu of tamarind juice, as it’s commonly used by the street vendors in Thailand. Palm sugar is not a common ingredient for many people, so I substituted it with sugar. The recipe is very versatile as you can make it healthier by adding more bean sprouts and reduce the rice noodles. Other than shrimp, you can also use chicken breast. The fried firm tofu is a key ingredient in authentic Pad Thai but you can’t find it at your local stores, feel free to opt it out.

I love eating my Pad Thai with a generous squirt (or two) of lime juice. It’s a delightful dish to make at home and a complete meal on its own. I hope you enjoy the recipe. If you have any questions, do leave me a comment! Again, thanks Gina for having me.

Shrimp Pad Thai On The Lighter Side

www.Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 1/2 • Old Points: 9 pts • Points+: 11 pts
Calories: 400 • Fat: 18.7 g • Protein: 37.5 g • Carb: 25.1 g • Fiber: 2.1 g • Sugar: 9.4 g
Sodium: 1391 mg

Ingredients:

• 3 oz packaged rice noodles (rice sticks)
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 6 oz medium-sized shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 2 oz fried firm tofu, cut into slices (optional)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 5 oz bean sprouts
• 1 oz Chinese chives (or scallions), cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 tbsp crushed peanuts
• lime wedges

For the Seasonings:

• 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce (Thai Kitchen brand for gluten free)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp chili powder or more, to taste

Directions:

Follow the package instructions to cook the dry rice noodles. The rice noodles should be soft (but still chewy and not mushy) after boiling. Rinse the boiled noodles with cold running water.

Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl until well combined, set aside.

Heat up a large skillet on high heat and add the oil. As soon as the oil is hot, add the garlic to the skillet and start stirring until you smell the aroma of the garlic. Add the shrimp and the tofu and continue stirring. As soon as the shrimp changes color, add the noodles and stir-continuously, about 30 seconds. Use the spatula to push the noodles to one side of the skillet, and crack the eggs on the empty side of the skillet. Use the spatula to break the egg yolk and let cook for about 30 seconds. Combine the egg and the noodles, and add the seasoning sauce. Stir to combine well with the noodles.

Next, add the bean sprouts and chives and continue stirring. As soon as the bean sprouts are cooked, stir-in the crushed peanut. Turn off the heat and serve the Pad Thai immediately with the lime wedges.