In recent years, Asian cuisine has enjoyed considerable popularity in our country. Among other dishes, many of our compatriots especially highlight rice noodles with shrimp and vegetables. The dish is really very tasty, though often it doesn’t work out to pamper itself - a portion usually costs at least 300-400 rubles. Fortunately, it can be easily cooked at home - it takes a little effort and time, and the taste of the dish exceeds the purchased one. So every experienced chef should know the rice noodle recipe with shrimp and vegetables.
Dish history
Before talking about the recipe, it’s worth briefly telling about the history of this dish.
It came to our country from Thailand, where it originated relatively recently. During the Second World War, the country was seriously affected - a series of floods led to the rice crop dying. Ordinary people were threatened by hunger. It was then that Plake Phibunsongkram, the then prime minister who was acting at that time, offered people to eat noodles instead of the usual rice. The government has actively promoted the use of rice noodles. I must say that people took a new product without much hunting - mainly under the pressure of circumstances and the city. However, over time, noodles became an integral part of Thai cuisine.
Of course, nobody wanted to eat one noodle. People began to add vegetables and seafood or meat to it (everything was used - chicken, pork, shrimp). So a completely new dish appeared - pad Thai. According to connoisseurs of shrimp, it was best to emphasize the excellent taste of the sauce and noodles. Therefore, the article will tell you exactly about the preparation of rice noodles with shrimps in Thai.
Dish benefits
If we talk about the merits of pad-tai, then first of all it should be noted the great taste. Yes, the dish has a very specific, but pleasant sour-salty taste, very different from any recipes of European cuisine. Perhaps it was precisely this unusualness that provided him with high popularity not only in our country, but throughout the world.
Also, a serious plus can be attributed to the comparative simplicity of the preparation. Of course, there are many recipes for pad-thai - for some you need very exotic ingredients and sauces. But for the classic recipe you need fairly common products that can be easily purchased at the nearest supermarket.
Finally, one cannot fail to note the simplicity and speed of preparation. To prepare the dish, it will take no more than half an hour - the cooking itself takes about 20 minutes and about 10 minutes will take to prepare the products. So, if you were informed that friends or relatives would come to visit you soon, but there wasn’t a delicious dinner, then this is a great opportunity to demonstrate your culinary talents and delight guests with a truly unusual exotic dish.
What products will be needed
Now we turn to the question of what foods are needed to cook real rice noodles with shrimp and vegetables. There are a lot of options, each gourmet has his own point of view on this issue. But still, we single out one - simple and very successful, which certainly will not disappoint the connoisseur.
So, to prepare four large home servings, you will need:
- Rice noodles - 300 grams.
- Peeled shrimp - 300 grams.
- Sweet pepper - 3 pieces.
- Average carrot - 2 pieces.
- Broccoli - 200 grams.
- Soy sauce, red pepper, sesame seeds, vegetable oil.
As you can see, no rare or too expensive products are needed to arrange a chic dinner. So, you can begin to create a culinary masterpiece.
We prepare products for cooking
If you want to cook rice noodles with shrimp and broccoli, it is advisable to cook all the products in advance. Then later, in the cooking process, you will not need to be distracted and risk a dish that can burn up - you can act very quickly.
Rinse boiled shrimp, if the intestines have not been removed - clean them.
Sweet pepper (it is advisable to choose fruits of different colors - they will look better on a plate), rinse, peel and cut into narrow, long strips.
Peel, rinse and grate the carrots to get thin long strips.
Rinse broccoli and divide into small inflorescences, which are convenient to take with Chinese chopsticks.
Most likely, it will take no more than 10-15 minutes to do all the work if you get together and not be distracted from the process.
Choosing the right dish
In general, usually rice noodles with shrimp and vegetables, a photo of which can be seen on the sites of many Thai food stores, is cooked in special dishes - wok. It is something between a frying pan and a cauldron - not too high, but at the same time rounded, without pronounced angles. It is especially convenient to turn products over, and do it quickly, without allowing to burn.
Some gourmets and connoisseurs of Asian cuisine even decide to purchase a special wok to cook dishes in accordance with all the rules. But if you are going to pamper your loved ones with pad-thai several times a year, then you should not spend money - an ordinary frying pan with high walls and a thick bottom will do. If this is not on the farm, then you can use a cauldron.
Start cooking
Now we turn to the most interesting - how to cook rice noodles with shrimp. Everything is done in a few simple steps:
- Pour a few tablespoons of vegetable oil onto the bottom of the pan. Warm it up strongly so that the smoke starts.
- Pour water into a saucepan and place on an adjacent burner.
- Put broccoli, carrots and peppers in a pan. Fry for five to seven minutes, stirring vigorously so that the vegetables do not burn. If you like them to crunch, then you can go directly to the next step. If you prefer soft vegetables, then add a little water (a few tablespoons), close the lid and leave for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Throw rice noodles into a pan with boiled water - no salt needed.
- Add soy sauce and red pepper to almost cooked vegetables. Put the peeled shrimps and, thoroughly mixing everything, fry for three to five minutes.
- Turn off the fire, drain the water from the noodles.
Dinner is almost ready - it remains only to serve it beautifully and you can invite people close to the table.
Serve before serving
The noodles are laid out on plates - usually for this, deep containers are used near the tureens, but with a smaller diameter. Shrimp vegetables are laid out on top of the noodles. They are densely sprinkled with sesame seeds, which successfully set off the taste of the finished dish.
It will not be amiss to serve soy and oyster sauces, as well as ground red pepper, to the table. This will allow guests to add pungency, acid or salinity if not enough. Zealous with seasonings when cooking is not worth it. Of course, Asian dishes should be spicy. But not everyone likes it - but with this approach, you allow each guest to get a dish that has exactly the taste that will completely suit it.
Of course, do not forget to put sticks and familiar forks near the plates. Fans of proper Thai cuisine will prefer to use chopsticks. But not everyone has such a skill - perhaps someone from the invitees will choose forks that are easier to use. And your responsibility, as a host, is to provide such an alternative.
Conclusion
On this our article comes to an end. Now you know about all the intricacies of cooking gourmet rice noodles with shrimp and vegetables in Thai. So, you can easily surprise your loved ones by preparing and serving an unexpected culinary masterpiece.