Thai Noodles!

[AzianBrewer]

There are "Thai" restaurants out there actually using ketchup instead of tamarind syrup in their pad thai. That is just wrong!

[OnigiriFB]

eeew!

[sanrensho]

There are "Thai" restaurants out there actually using ketchup instead of tamarind syrup in their pad thai.  That is just wrong!

←

I've noticed that the pad thai in served in Thai restaurants here in North America generally tends to have a distinct red tint to it. I always assumed it was from using chilli sauce. In contrast, the pictures of pad thai that I have seen from Thailand do not have a distinct red tint.

Edited January 18, 2006 by sanrensho (log)

[OnigiriFB]

I have to admit I'm not the greatest fan of phad thai. I never order it here because they usually don't do it right. But even in Thailand it was a dish I rarely ate. There were so many other dishes to eat! If Thai restaurants abroad are putting KETCHUP!!!???!!!? in phad thai I'm wondering why it's so popular here. Blech!

[snowangel]

There are "Thai" restaurants out there actually using ketchup instead of tamarind syrup in their pad thai.  That is just wrong!

←

I've noticed that the pad thai in served in Thai restaurants here in North America generally tends to have a distinct red tint to it. I always assumed it was from using chilli sauce. In contrast, the pictures of pad thai that I have seen from Thailand do not have a distinct red tint.

←

I think in the US, the noodles are often soaked in water with paprika which gives them the red color.

[sanrensho]

I think in the US, the noodles are often soaked in water with paprika which gives them the red color.

Is there a reason for this?

[AzianBrewer]

I think in the US, the noodles are often soaked in water with paprika which gives them the red color.

Is there a reason for this?

←

Never thought paprika has a use in Thai food.

[prasantrin]

I have to admit I'm not the greatest fan of phad thai. I never order it here because they usually don't do it right. But even in Thailand it was a dish I rarely ate. There were so many other dishes to eat! If Thai restaurants abroad are putting KETCHUP!!!???!!!?  in phad thai I'm wondering why it's so popular here. Blech!

←

I would go so far as to say that most Thai restaurants in North America use ketchup in their pad thai. We ask wherever we go, and almost all of the restaurants (a few across the US--not in areas heavily populated by Thais, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, etc.) said they used ketchup.

Pad thai isn't one of my favourites, either. I wouldn't be surprised if it's more popular with farangs than with Thais.

[trillium]

I think you're probably right, and it probably sells more in N. America then the country of origin. I tried it twice in nearly a month of constant eating, just to make sure I wasn't missing out on something. Both times I really didn't like it that much and thought it was a waste of stomach space. In one night market in Nakhon I was the only farang (well, besides the spouse, but at the point he was tan and flinging around Thai like he knew what he was doing so they took him for my

Chinese Thai tour guide!), and the sign was only in Thai so I thought that was probably as good as it got. Her booth was pretty tiny though, and only had a few customers.

Now Singapore/Malaysia's take on "Thai" noodles I'll take any day. I think it's time to make mee siam soon.

regards,

trillium

[snowangel]

Heads up! Over on the Cooking forum is a new Cook-Off -- Asian Noodle Soups. I've provided a link on that topic to the Battle of the Khao Soi topic.

But, two things.

I had my first Khao Soi in Chieng Mai in the late 1960's, and the taste of that dish has stayed with me. I've had it, in Chieng Mai, with beef or chicken, and I'm not sure which I prefer. But, the fried noodles are essential, IMHO. I'm hot to make khao soi, but I think my pounding technique is off because my pastes never look like they should. Tips and tricks appreciated.

Be sure and visit the Asian Noodle Cook-Off. I have some questions about ba mee nam.

[Ptipois]

I'm hot to make khao soi, but I think my pounding technique is off because my pastes never look like they should.  Tips and tricks appreciated.

←

What do they look like, precisely?

I've followed the advice of roasting, seeding and pulverizing the red chillies instead of soaking them whole. This saves a lot of pounding and helps with the texture. Also, I chop all ingredients finely before pounding them, which saves time but also produces a smoother paste.

All chillies should be seeded, also. Even the small green chillies (phrik khii nuu).

[OnigiriFB]

Heads up! Over on the Cooking forum is a new Cook-Off -- Asian Noodle Soups.  I've provided a link on that topic to the Battle of the Khao Soi topic.

But, two things.

I had my first Khao Soi in Chieng Mai in the late 1960's, and the taste of that dish has stayed with me.  I've had it, in Chieng Mai, with beef or chicken, and I'm not sure which I prefer.  But, the fried noodles are essential, IMHO.  I'm hot to make khao soi, but I think my pounding technique is off because my pastes never look like they should.  Tips and tricks appreciated.

Be sure and visit the Asian Noodle Cook-Off.  I have some questions about ba mee nam.

←

I'm in but I'm still trying to figure out what kind of noodles I want to do. Yes I had another bowl of khao soi and put the fried noodles and it does make a difference. So no more being lazy next time! Umm.. the only thing I remember about making paste is that we made sure to roast them really well. Our family cook had this unglazed clay pot that she would put all the ingredients in (shallots peppers etc) into to roast them on the stovetop. When it came out the were nicely charred and she would skin them. From what I remember is should come out like roasted peppers and be easy to make into a paste. The dry stuff went in first to be pounded and then the roasted stuff. Then I would pound away while scraping the bowl until it looked like what Ptipois on her blog posted a picture of. Did that help?

[trillium]

I had my first Khao Soi in Chieng Mai in the late 1960's, and the taste of that dish has stayed with me.  I've had it, in Chieng Mai, with beef or chicken, and I'm not sure which I prefer.  But, the fried noodles are essential, IMHO.  I'm hot to make khao soi, but I think my pounding technique is off because my pastes never look like they should.  Tips and tricks appreciated.

←

How do they look? What is it that you don't like? I would guess that it is too soupy and not fine enough? Or is the balance off, and you don't like the taste? N. American shallots and garlic tend to be much wetter and bigger then the ones in SE Asia. If you don't want to go by look, it's best to go by weight, not quantity because of this. I find that buying grey shallots from one of my favorite farmers gives me a much better paste then the supermarket shallots.

One thing that helps with consistency, besides the tips mentioned, is to make sure your gkapi is roasted/toasted nice and slow before you add it. The other thing is to not over load the morter. This is pretty important. Ours can't hold all of the ingredients at one because we nearly always make a double batch. So we do things in batches, and really make sure the lemon grass is truly pulverized, same with galanga. Lastly, I assume you know this already, it's a pounding up and down, not a grinding motion. This helps break the fibers down into shorter pieces, instead of just pulling them apart and your paste will get, well, pasty.

regards,

trillium

[ludja]

I wonder if anyone can shed light on a noodle dish I've had at an SF Thai restaurant.

I don't know the name in thai, but the dish has crab and egg in it and is in a spicy brownish-reddish sauce. The egg are added in raw and are cooked in the pan with the crab. The noodles are medium thickness non-rice noodles. The dish also has bean sprouts and I think green onions and is served with a lime wedge.

Is this a known dish?

I've tried to recreate it at home but wonder if there is name for this dish and if anyone knows of any 'typical' recipes.

Thanks...

[OnigiriFB]

Hrm... I'm not sure what you had. You know that they call it on the menu? It doesn't sound familar at all.