Serves 4
Thai food and I have a complicated relationship. I absolutely love the flavors, but I rarely feel good after eating it. I started making this rice dish so I could eat pad thai and still walk among the living the next day. It has all the exotic contrasting sweet and sour flavors of pad thai without all the MSG and grease of so many restaurant versions.
I use Thai red rice here because of the reddish color of pad thai, but brown rice works, too.
2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Canola oil (or another neutral-flavored oil)
8 ounces large (16 to 20 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 ounces firm tofu, drained and cut into ½-inch cubes
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Thai red rice or long-grain brown rice, cooked (see here or here; about 3 cups cooked rice)
2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced
3 cups bean sprouts
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced on an angle
1 cup fresh basil (preferably Thai basil)
1 cup fresh mint
1 cup roasted salted peanuts (or cashews), coarsely chopped
2 limes, halved, for garnish
Dissolve the tamarind pulp in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons warm water, breaking up the pulp with a fork to help it dissolve. Stir in the lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and salt.
Add enough oil to coat a large nonstick skillet (or a wok if you have one) and heat the oil over medium-high heat until it slides like water in the pan and is sizzling hot but not smoking, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and tofu and sauté, with a spatula, until the shrimp are pink on both sides and the tofu is golden brown all over, about 4 minutes. Pour the eggs into the pan and tilt to coat the bottom of the pan and catch the tofu and shrimp in the egg “pancake.” Working quickly so the eggs don’t overcook, break up the eggs with the spatula, then slide the contents of the skillet onto a plate.
While the skillet is still hot, add enough oil to coat it and heat the oil for 20 or 30 seconds, until it’s sizzling hot. Add the rice, and add the garlic on top of the rice (adding the garlic directly to the pan will cause it to burn instantly). Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes to warm the rice through and cook the garlic. Return the eggs, shrimp, and tofu to the pan and add the bean sprouts, scallions, and tamarind mixture. Toss the ingredients together with the spatula and cook for about 2 minutes to heat through. Turn off the heat and stir in the basil and mint, leaving a few for garnish.
Divide the rice among four bowls and top with the peanuts and the remaining herbs. Serve the lime halves on the side for squeezing over the top.