Pad Thai with Chicken

Ingredients:

Noodles

• 140g flat rice noodles (linguine-sized)

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tbsp. l. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste or concentrate (see note)
• 1-3 tbsp Sriracha sauce (to taste)
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Stir-fry

• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup extra-firm tofu, cut into 2x1cm cubes
• 170 g chicken breasts, cut into 1 cm cubes.
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Half a red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 3 thin green onions, sliced ​​diagonally into 2cm pieces (see Note)
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation:

1. Noodles:

   
   Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
   

2. Sauce:

   
   In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, brown sugar, tamarind, Sriracha sauce, and lime juice until smooth.
   

3. Stir-fry:

   
   Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Push the tofu to the sides of the skillet to allow any excess oil to drain into the center. Add the chicken and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken turns white and is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Push the chicken and shallots toward the tofu to allow any excess oil to drain into the center of the skillet. Add the beaten egg to the skillet and cook, stirring and breaking up the egg occasionally, until set, about 30 seconds. Push the egg toward the sides of the skillet to join the tofu and chicken. Add the bell pepper to the skillet and cook until softened slightly and crisped around the edges, about 2 minutes. Add the noodles, mung bean sprouts, green onions, and sauce to the pan. Combine the tofu, chicken, and egg with the remaining ingredients and stir-fry to coat. Simmer until the sauce thickens, 3-5 minutes.
   
4. Transfer the stir-fry to a serving platter and top with chopped peanuts and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with lime wedges for a squeeze of juice.
   
   

   Note

   
   Pad Thai cooks very quickly once you heat the pan, so have all your ingredients cut, measured, and prepared ahead of time.
   
   Tamarind paste is a puree of tamarind pulp, without the seeds or fibers. You can also find tamarind concentrate, in which case you first mix it with 1 tablespoon of hot water.
   
   If you only have thick, large green onions, cut the greens in half lengthwise and then cut into pieces.