Pad Thai

Put the boiling water into a cup or small bowl. Add tamarind and soak it in the boiling water fir 10-20 minutes. Using a sieve strain the tamarind mixture into a bowl, separating the seeds from the liquid. Squeeze out as much water from the pulp as possible. Put the pulp into a bowl. To the tamarind pulp add fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cayenne pepper and 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Set aside.

2. Cook noodles according to package directions, but under cook them by a couple of minutes. When done, pour off the hot water, rinse them with cold water, drain and set aside.

3. In a small bowl beat eggs with a pinch of salt.

4. Heat a wok over high heat and add 1 tablespoon sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add shrimp, sprinkle with salt and cook until cooked through (about 3-4 minutes). Set shrimp aside in a bowl.

5. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the wok and add shallots and garlic. Cook until they are just starting to brown, 1-2 minutes. Move the shallots and garlic to the side of the wok and add the eggs to the pan. Stirring constantly, cook until eggs are just starting to set, less than 30 seconds.

6. Add rice noodles to the wok and toss to combine everything. Add sauce mixture, mixing to combine. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly until the noodles are coated in the sauce.

7. Add 1/4 cup peanuts, bean sprouts, shrimp and half the scallions to the pan. Continue to cook, while tossing the mixture until noodles are cooked through, 1-2 minutes.

8. Serve the pad thai sprinkled with remaining peanuts, scallions and the cilantro. Drizzle with a squirt of juice from the lime wedges.

Recipe adapted from Pink Parsley.