Thai'ed up

Tonight I'm meeting up with a few friends for drinks and dinner. Since it's THAT time of year (read: empty pockets), we're going to a little place in Soho that turns out good Thai food. There's not much to the service, and they don't let you sit for long, but it is mighty tasty. And cheap.

I know long before I step through the door what I'll be having. Pad thai. It's my favourite. With heavy doses of that lovely mouth-puckering chilli sauce that sits on every table.

I wonder: is it easy to cook pad thai at home? I consult the all-knowing beast that is the internet.

Stop 1: Wikipedia
Wiki kindly informs me that "there have evolved two types of pad thai": one that originates in Thailand is relatively dry and light, and one in the Western world that is covered in red oil. Okay, not actually that helpful. But it does spell out the ingredients, for those unfamiliar:

Rice noodles
Eggs
Fish sauce
Tamarind juice
Chilli
Crushed peanuts
Coriander/cilantro
And any combo of shrimp, chicken, tofu or bean sprouts

And now for a history lesson - pad thai first became popular in World War II, when the prime minister wanted to reduce the consumption of rice in Thailand. Evidently.

Stop 2: Epicurious

When in doubt, I stop here for a guide on how to make something. I don't always use the recipe verbatim. Instead, I often mix and match. They give me three options:

Pad thai noodles
Vegetarian pad thai
Coconut pad thai

I must say, I like the sound of coconut. But I'm straying off topic. I note happily that the first recipe doesn't sound too unhealthy, with 3 tbsp of vegetable oil and an egg the only fat-based ingredients for four servings. I wonder if this could be reduced even further.

Stop 3: You Tube
Should the idea of cooking the ultimate Thai takeaway still fill you with feelings of uncertainty, why not hit up YouTube for a tutorial:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyH4axkSTT0

I still can't decide whether I'll take this dish on at home or leave it to the humble kitchens of Tuk Tuk Thai in Soho. Given it's a cheap meal out at £5, I'll probably leave it to the professionals.

Delia's thai fish curry with mango

I absolutely love this recipe. Delia’s fish curry is extremely fresh and also simple to make. My only qualm - that there are not any vegetables in there – is easily fixed by tossing in some sliced red peppers or courgettes and a few red onions.

I recommend using reduced-fat coconut milk as the reduction of calories outweighs any extra creaminess. Actually, with all the mango in the curry, full-fat coconut milk can make the curry that bit too sweet.

Making the curry paste from scratch is absolutely delightful, and in my opinion, negates the need for those little jars that clutter the refrigerator door shelf. While I really like Bart’s curry pastes, the homemade version, fresh and lively, beats it any time. Blitz the ingredients – garlic, chilli, onion, lime juice and zest, shrimp paste and nam pla (fish sauce) – with a hand blender. Any fish will do, though I like using black halibut.

Serve with brown basmati rice (50 g per person is the recommended serving size).