Soak the noodles in boiling hot water for 10-15 minutes 10 Minutes . Test the noodles every 5 minutes 5 Minutes , they should be ‘al dente’ not too hard, not too soft. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Toast coarsely chopped peanuts in a dry skillet on your stovetop. This will only take minutes, so keep your nuts moving, as once you smell the peanuts and they are lightly toasted, they are ready to go! Set aside for garnish.
While the noodles are soaking, prepare the sauce in a saucepan. Mix together fish sauce, tamarind paste, water, chili-garlic sauce and brown sugar. Place all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a soft boil. Stir well until the sugar has dissolved approximately 2-3 minutes 2 Minutes . Take off the heat and taste-test. This sauce should have a balance of spicy, sweet, and sour, but definitely veering more toward sweet and spicy. If too sour, add a little more sugar. If you like more spice, add more chili sauce. Cook from the heart, whatever your heart desires! Heat oil in large frying pan or wok. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and sauce mixture and stir for 3 minutes 3 Minutes. Add beaten eggs and stir constantly for one minute 1 Minute . Add drained rice noodles and gently toss until coated. Be as gentle as possible when tossing. Tip: Use two utensils when tossing, it makes it easier to toss the noodles gently.
Stir in bean sprouts, spring onions and 1/2 cup cilantro. Stir and toss for a minute or so, until heated through. Serve, sprinkle with chopped peanuts and remaining cilantro. Top with slices or wedges of lime, squeezing over noodles upon serving. Enjoy, this is such a delicious dish, the BEST pad thai I’ve ever tasted – true story!
Serving Size Serves 8