Nadiya's pad Thai
Nadiya's twist on pad Thai is made with pickled papaya, tamarind and turmeric. In the programme, Nadiya only used squid, but at home she usually adds mussels so we've included them here.
Ingredients
For the pickled papaya
- 200ml/7fl oz rice wine vinegar
- 75²µ/2¾´Ç³ú palm sugar, grated
- 1 young papaya, peeled and sliced
For the pad Thai sauce
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 limes, juice only
For the noodles
- 1kg/2lb 4oz mussels, scrubbed and debearded (optional)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 400g/14oz cooked rice noodles
- 6 Thai shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 red chillies, finely sliced
- 250g/9oz squid, cleaned, prepared and cut into rings
To serve
Method
For the pickled papaya, bring the vinegar to the boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the palm sugar until dissolved. Remove from the heat, stir in the papaya and set aside until the pickle has cooled completely.
For the pad Thai sauce, mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until combined into a smooth sauce.
For the noodles, discard any mussels with broken shells and any that refuse to close when tapped (if using). Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large, lidded wok and add the mussels. Cover with the lid and steam the mussels for 3–4 minutes, or until all of the mussels are opened. Discard any mussels that remain closed and remove the mussels from the remaining opened shells. Tip the noodles into a bowl and add the mussels.
Wipe the wok and add a tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the shallots and chillies and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the squid rings and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes. Keep the wok on the heat, add the mussel and noodle mixture (or just the noodles if you aren't using mussels) and toss everything together. Pour in the pad Thai sauce and toss through the noodles until everything is coated and warmed through.
To serve, spoon the noodles into warmed bowls and garnish with the pickled papaya. Serve immediately with the lime wedges, celery leaves, cashew nuts and chilli flakes alongside.
Recipe Tips
Most recipes for pad Thai include a little sugar, but Nadiya prefers hers without. Taste the sauce before adding it to the noodles and add up to a tablespoon of sugar, if desired.
Rice noodles can be gluten free, but check the packaging if this is important to you because they are often made in factories where gluten is present so there's a risk of contamination.