Pad Thai Abroad (No Tamarind)

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, then set it aside. I discovered online that Tod’d chili sauce is quite versatile, so I decided to add it into this Pad Thai. It provides sufficient heat, so there's no need to add any additional chili powder. Feel free to use any other available ingredients as substitutes if necessary.

Soak the rice noodles in water for about 5 minutes, or until they become soft. As Chantaboon rice noodles can be difficult to source in some locations, I typically use regular rice stick noodles, which perform just as effectively.

Get all your ingredients ready. Heat a pan, then fry the firm tofu until it turns golden brown. In the same pan, stir-fry the dried shrimp until they are lightly cooked. Once done, remove both the tofu and shrimp from the pan and set them aside.

In the same pan, stir-fry the sweet pickled radish in a bit of oil until it becomes fragrant. Add the softened noodles and continue to stir-fry them until they are tender. Pour in the made sauce and stir well to ensure everything is evenly coated. Add the bean sprouts and garlic chives, then crack in the egg. Allow the egg to cook for a moment before returning the fried tofu and dried shrimp to the pan. Give everything a final stir to combine, and your Pad Thai is ready to be served immediately.

Should you be unable to find sweet pickled radish, sweet pickled daikon makes an excellent substitute. While it is actually a sweet pickled ginger, its flavor profile is quite similar, though it does carry a slight ginger warmth. It serves as a perfectly viable alternative.