Pad Thai variations

Thai food is ideal for so many diets where people have restrictions to consider, as is most Asian cuisine.
Not only that, but it's delicious! And many a Thai curry have been cooked in our kitchen.

Pad Thai is a staple choice for me when we go out for dinner and I have been meaning to try this at home for a long time.

You can use prawns, chicken or tofu as your main protein, or just leave it out and make vegetables the star of your dish.

Prawn Pad Thai-Serves 2

240g rice noodles (wet weight)
100g cooked king prawns
1 red onion thinly sliced
1 green pepper deseeded and sliced
1 carrot peeled and sliced
1 courgette diced
1 cup sliced white cabbage
1 egg

2 tbsp Tamarind paste
1 tsp Brown sugar
2 garlic cloves crushed
1/2 tsp red chilli puree
1 tsp agave nectar 
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp crunchy peanut butter
2 tbsp Tamari
3 tbsp fish sauce
vegetable oil

To finish:

lime wedges
chilli flakes
crushed peanuts

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large wok or deep pan and add all the chopped vegetables. Add the crushed garlic and chilli. Stir fry until softened, adding a little water if necessary to stop from sticking. 
2. In a bowl, mix the tamarind, sugar, agave nectar, lime juice, peanut butter, tamari and fish sauce.
3. Once the vegetables are softened, reduce the heat a little and push them to the side to leave a gap in the centre. Break the egg in to the space and mix with a spatula to scramble the egg. 
4. Toss in the cooked rice noodles and king prawns, mix in to the vegetables and egg for 2 minutes whilst continuing to cook. 
5. Pour over the sauce mixture and stir through for a couple of minutes until the dish is hot and ready to serve. 
6. Dish up in pasta bowls with chopsticks.
7. Arrange the finishing toppings on a small side dish for your diners to add as they please.

(Note: If your rice noodles are bought dry, put them in to a bowl and pour over boiling water from the kettle. Within 2 minutes, you can drain your noodles and they will be ready to use.)

If you would prefer to use tofu, cut this into squares and pan fry it separately in a little oil to give it some colour. Add to the main pan when you stir in your cooked rice noodles. 

This dish is gluten free for those who need it! If you would like to make it vegetarian, simply remove the fish sauce and use extra tamari.