Pad Thai - The real Thai dish

What is actually behind this popular Thai dish that everyone wants to know about and how did it all start? Pad Thai is a dish synonymous with Thailand and, unlike Singapore noodles, is actually from the place it’s named for! Thai people take great pride in the dish and use it as a yardstick for their own cuisine. “Whenever we try Thai food, we try Pad Thai first because that is a way to judge how good a restaurant is,” chef and Thailand native Nick Srisawat tells Gastronomica.

It’s become a staple in Bangkok and is loved across the world, but the story of its inception is one you might not know.

Back in 1938, a man named Phibunsongkhram, better known as Phibun in the West had just played a prominent role as a military officer in a coup that dethroned Thailand’s monarchy and, after rising through the ranks of government, became Prime Minister (dictator).

Despite being the center of power in Thailand, Phibun was worried. Siam as Thailand was then known had never been colonized, but was surrounded by the French and British. Siam was also an ethnically diverse country with strong regional identities, and with the removal of the monarchy, there was little to hold these disparate groups together.

So, in an effort to forge a true national identity and more importantly cement his power, Phibun decided to transform the country’s culture and identity. From 1939–1942, Phibun passed 12 Cultural Mandates that would hopefully encourage the Siamese people to be productive, well-mannered, and proud of their country.

Phibun’s mandates were incredibly nationalistic, and like a lot of modern-day legislation, were aimed to curb foreign influence within Siam. Some of his mandates—like his desire for everyone to wear hats in public—have faded into the fog of history. But his decision to change the name of the country to Thailand has stuck, and his ability to forge a true national identity has lived on.

“But what has this got to do with Pad Thai?” I hear you ask. Patience, we’re getting to that.

Before Phibun, Pad Thai didn’t exist. In fact, most Thai people ate rice with chili paste, leaves, and salt and bought lunch and snacks from Chinese food vendors. But during World War II, Thailand suffered a shortage of rice, and Phibun used this shortage as a nationalistic propaganda opportunity. Thus Pad Thai was born, ironically from a dish with Chinese origins. The original name for Pad Thai was ‘Gway Teow Pad Thai’. ‘Gway Teow’ is a Chinese word for rice noodles, while ‘Pad’ means ‘fried’ and ‘Thai’ means ‘in Thai style’. Some people believe that a similar creation to Pad Thai was brought to Siam by Chinese traders in the 1700s.

Phibun’s son told Gastronomica that his family cooked Pad Thai before his father made it the national dish of Thailand, but is unsure who invented it. Others say there was a national competition held and Pad Thai won. What everyone does agree on is that the dish was used to protect Thailand’s rice resources. Noodles are cheap and economical to produce and could be dried and kept for long periods of time. The amount of rice used to make noodles was 50% of what would be consumed if it was eaten unprocessed, so noodles essentially doubled Thailand’s rice stores.

Married with Phibuns mandates, Pad Thai was promoted heavily up and down the country under the campaign slogan “noodle is your lunch”. The propaganda-led menu change told the Thai people they were “helping the war effort” and “supporting [their] country” all while reducing the influence of international powers within the country. The Public Welfare Department gave out recipes to restaurants and even gave free food carts to people to sell Pad Thai in the streets, all while quietly banning foreign nationals from selling their wares.

But it worked. The Thai people adopted Pad Thai and started eating it regularly. Phibun’s push to unite the Thai people under his nationalist agenda worked and the Thai nation started to become the country Australians regularly visit today.

So, next time you order pad thai from your local Thai, remember it was the delicious brainchild of a dictator. Oh and Phibun? The vocal fan of Mussolini and the man who forged an alliance with Japan during World War II? After numerous coups where he lost and then regained power, he was forced into exile in Japan in 1957 and lived there until his death in 1964.

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces pad thai or lo mein noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 medium lime)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped, unsalted peanuts


PREPARATION

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles and cook for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender. Drain the noodles and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until tender.

Whisk the eggs lightly with a fork. Pour them into the skillet and cook just until they solidify, but are still moist, moving the eggs around the skillet slightly as they cook so that they lightly scramble. When the eggs are cooked, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the scrambled eggs. Add the noodles and toss to coat in the sauce.

Sprinkle the green onions, cilantro, and peanuts over the noodles. Toss lightly to combine. Serve warm and hope you enjoyed this recipe.

The Original Roasted Duck Rice Recipe

Duck rice is a Southeast Asian meat dish usually consumed by the Chinese diaspora in Maritime Southeast Asia, made of either braised or roasted duck and plain white rice. The braised duck is usually cooked with yam and shrimps; it can be served simply with plain white rice and a thick dark sauce; side dishes of braised hard-boiled eggs, preserved salted vegetables, or hard beancurd may be added. In addition, Teochew boneless duck rice is similar, but a more refined dish; due to the slightly tougher texture of duck, the duck is artfully deboned and sliced thinly for the convenience and ease of the diner, allowing the sauces to seep into the meat, making it a more pleasant experience on the whole; Hainanese chicken rice and other similar dishes have followed this style due to the popularity.

Method:

Prep:15min › Cook:1hr10min › Extra time:5hr resting › Ready in:6hr25min 

Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Trim off the visible duck fat, then prick the skin all over, piercing through the fat but not through the meat. Plunge the duck into the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Drain and dry on kitchen paper.

Stir together the hoisin sauce, five-spice powder, root ginger, spring onions, sherry, and yellow bean sauce, and spread on the underside of the duck. Place it, skin side up, on a rack set over a roasting tin.

Put the honey, soy sauce, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour this mixture over the duck, collecting the juices in the tin. Pour the mixture back over the duck twice more, then leave the duck, on the rack, in a cool, draughty place for about 5 hours. Alternatively, leave it in front of a fan, or in a fan oven with just the fan turned on and no heat, for 2 hours. The skin of the duck should dry out and look a bit like baking parchment. Reserve the honey and soy mixture.

Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas 6. Pour about 300ml of water into the roasting tin.

Roast until the skin is very crisp and brown, about 1 hour.

Pour the reserved honey and soy mixture into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to make a sauce to serve with the roast duck.

Ingredients:
Serves: 4
1 (2kg) whole duck
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
1 tablespoon grated root ginger
2 spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons yellow bean sauce
3 tablespoons honey
3 ta dark soy sauce

300ml water

This dish can commonly be found in food centers all around Singapore.

In Thailand, this dish is called Khao na ped (ข้าวหน้าเป็ด; lit: "rice topped with duck"), and is sold by street vendors or in restaurants inside shopping malls. A Bangkok neighborhood that specializes in its duck rice is Bangrak on Charoen Krung road. In addition, it has also been adapted to other dishes by mixing roasted red pork and Chinese sausage with special gravy, a dish called Khao che po (ข้าวเฉโป) or Khao sia po (ข้าวเสียโป), meaning "gamble away rice". It is considered traditional Teochew cuisine.

The real Singapore chili crab

Who doesn't know the epic chili crab dish from Malaysia and Singapore ? I have never forgotten about this amazing dish! There are many good places to enjoy chili crab in Asia. There is another version of that I love to eat which is pepper crab. Although pepper crab is nice, many people prefer chili crab, simply because its more authentic and the preparation is slightly more complicated. Nevertheless, I love em' both! 

The crab is divine but the sauce is the star – sweet yet savory, incredibly spicy and supremely satisfying. You will get it all over your fingers as you crack open the crab shells, and it is simply impossible not to lick it all up. And you will go back for more, dipping fried or steamed buns, called mantou, to soak up the sauce – a delightful blend of tomatoes and chili paste, thickened with ribbons of beaten eggs.

Prima Taste La Mian Chilli Crab from Singapore

Chilli crab is among Singapore’s greatest culinary inventions, the king of all crab dishes. It is easily available in most seafood restaurants, which typically serve it with mud crabs that have deliciously sweet and juicy flesh.
Wash the crabs, removing the shells and claws. Then cut the bodies in half and remove all the spongy bits. Crack open the claws with a pestle and mortar or a nut cracker and wash well. Set aside.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok (or large heavy-bottomed non-stick pan) and stirfry the garlic and chillies for about 3-4 mins until fragrant (and you start to sneeze).

Add the crabs and fry until the shells start to turn red, stirring now and again.
Then add the hot water and ketchup with sugar to taste, the salt, miso, soy and cornflour mixture. Stir well, cover and simmer until the shells turn vibrant red. Taste the sauce for seasoning.

Break open the egg and streak in the mixture with a fork to form gold and silver threads. Then squeeze lime juice over and stir in the spring onions.

Serve with good crusty bread on the side.
nb. Soft-shelled crabs can be used. Cut each crab into 4, coat well in plain flour and deep fry until golden brown and crispy. Then make the sauce as above and toss in the soft-shelled crabs just before serving.

 

Ingredients

1-2 mud crabs
vegetable oil
8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
8-12 small red chillies, roughly chopped
1 cup hot water
5 tbsp tomato ketchup
3 tbsp shaved palm (or soft brown) sugar
¼ tspn sea salt
1 tspn pounded brown preserved soya beans or dark miso (optional)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1½ tspn cornflour mixed with a little water
1 egg
1 lime (or lemon)
2 spring (green) onions, cut into lengths
1 small bunch coriander