Fan Favourite Pad Thai with shrimp, chicken and tofu

Recipe Mari Loewen

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There's nothing quite as lovely as a homemade pad Thai. Here, we go deep with authentic Asian ingredients that will make it taste better than your favourite take-out. The photo doesn’t show it, but in the recipe we write how to crisp the tofu for a nice added crunch.

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Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) package medium-thick pad thai noodles (rice noodles)

1 1/4 cup canola oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1 (4-ounce) package firm tofu, well-drained, and diced

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup tamarind juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce or oyster sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar

1 teaspoon sambal olek or Sriracha sauce

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/2 cup crushed, salted peanuts

1/2 cup bean sprouts, to garnish

1/2 cup cilantro, to garnish

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Preparation

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

To crisp tofu, make sure the tofu is as dry as possible, pressing with paper towels to absorb the water. Place the cubes on parchment-lined baking sheet and season with salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping them once halfway through. Tofu should be golden and crispy when it’s done.

Meanwhile, bring medium saucepan filled with water to boil. Add noodles and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil; set aside.

Heat remaining oil in wok over medium to high heat. Add tofu and cook turning to crisp for about 3 minutes. Remove drain on paper towels and set aside. To same wok add the garlic and chicken; cook 2 to 3 minutes until chicken is only slightly pink, then stir in eggs, remove and set aside. To same wok add noodles, tamarind juice, fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and sambal; cook for 3 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 2 to 4 minutes longer. Now add crispy tofu, chicken mixture and peanuts; toss to coat. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with bean sprouts and cilantro. Serves 4.