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Pad thai garnished with peanuts and chili flakes

easy beef Pad Thai without tamarind


  • Author: Suwanee
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Description

Love Pad Thai? This easy beef Pad Thai without tamarind is the recipe for you! It's perfect as a light lunch or quick weeknight dinner that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes using ingredients found at your local grocery store. So convenient!


Ingredients

Scale

For velveting the beef

  • 10 oz stir-frying beef, cut into thin pieces around 1 1/2 inches long
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce

For the noodles part

  • 3 tablespoon oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, diced
  • 3 ounces shallots, chopped
  • 10-ounce rice noodles (soak in hot water for 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts, 1 cup for cooking, and save 1/2 for garnishing.
  • ½ cup green onions, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup crushed peanuts

The Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons white granulated sugar
  • 3 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce. Add more at the end if necessary.
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

For Garnishing (as desired)

  • Chili pepper flakes
  • Crushed peanuts
  • Granulated sugar
  • Freshly squeezed lime juice from lime wedges
  • Add extra bean sprouts for extra crunch!
  • Thinly sliced red bell pepper for a pretty presentation and extra veggie crunch, especially if you have guests over! (:

Instructions

  1. Tenderizing the beef. Combine beef, baking soda, and water in a bowl and massage lightly to get an even mix of the beef. Let sit for 15 minutes. Then rinse well with water before cooking.
  2. Prepare the noodles. Heat a large pot of water until boiling, then pour the hot water over the noodles in a large bowl until soft but on the al dente side. Use a wooden spoon to stir the noodles so they won't clump together. Once done, drain and rinse with cold water, and separate the stuck pieces. Pat the noodles dry with paper towel sheets to absorb any excess water. Please check your package for more specific instructions. Leave at room temperature until ready.
  3. Make the Pad Thai sauce. In a small bowl, mix the sauces and whisk until well blended. Microwave for 20-30 seconds to help the sugar dissolve more quickly. Let cool and set aside for later.
  4. Cook the beef. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan, add the beef and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the oyster sauce, stir and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Taste a bite from the beautiful bowl of tender beef! It's a dish just by itself!
  5. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok, add garlic and shallots to the wok cook until fragrant. 30-45 seconds. No need to wash the pan before this step. Use a paper towel if there's too much food stuck in the pan.
  6. Add the noodles and stir for 1-2 minutes until the noodles softened. If the noodles are sticking to the pan, quickly add 2-3 tablespoons of water or chicken stock to loosen up the pan. Or turn the heat down to medium heat.
    Season the noodles. Add sauce to the noodles and stir well. Cook for another couple of minutes. 
  7. Scramble the eggs. Push noodles to the outer side of the wok and add the rest of the oil to the side or middle part of the wok. Add the eggs and scrambled until soft, about 1 minute. Once done, add the egg mixture to the noodles and gently stir them together.
  8. Add the cooked beef, carrots, green onions, bean sprouts, and any vegetables of choice, stir well and cook for 2 more minutes.
     Add crushed peanuts, then stir in very lightly. Turn the heat off and adjust with a dash of Thai fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice or a few small drops of extra rice wine vinegar as needed. Stir one last time and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Use any size of dry rice sticks available at your grocery store. The larger the noodles, the longer you'll need to soak them in water to soften them.
  • If using dried noodles, prepared according to the package instructions for the best result.
  • For the tamarind sauce, you can make tamarind pulp or buy a pre-made jar at your local Asian market. This sour sauce is a common ingredient used in Thai cooking.
  • If you don't have a large wok or skillet, use a large saute pan, the biggest one you have to make the recipe. A small pan will not work for this unless you reduce the recipe by half.
  • If you venture out to the Asian market, grab fresh rice noodles in the refrigerator section, tamarind, and palm sugar. Mix these sauces for the most authentic Pad thai recipe! These ingredients will be handy for other recipes if you love to cook Thai food!
  • To help speed up the scrambled eggs, add lightly beaten eggs to the pan rather than adding cracked eggs directly to the wok.
  • My favorite thing to add to the noodles is a tangy sauce with rice wine vinegar and chopped fresh Thai chilis. It's a perfect balance of chili sauce with sweetness to add to the savory silky rice noodles.

** Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **

  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Category: Noodles
  • Method: Stir fry
  • Cuisine: Thai

Keywords: easy beef pad thai with no tamarind, beef pad thai, Pad Thai, easy Pad Thai recipe, Pad thai recipe