No tomatoes.

No lime juice.

And for god(s)’ sake, no ketchup!

This is a Pad Thai recipe from one of our favorite Thai food bloggers, Chez Pim. It is quite easy and will give Pad Thai so good, that you will stop ordering it at restaurants (thankfully, there are dozens upon dozens of even more delectable items to order).

Makes about 1.5 cups of sauce.  Enough to make 4 plates of Pad Thai comfortably.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tamarind (Either tamarind soup base from Thai grocery store, or diluted tamarind paste from Indian grocer)
• 1/2 cup suger (preferably palm sugar… it makes a difference)
• 1/2 cup fish sauce (vegetarian variety if need be)
• Red chili powder, to taste

Method

1. Mix all ingredients in a small sauce pan
2. Bring to a low simmer and make sure the sugar has properly dissolved.
3. Taste the sauce and make sure it is to your liking.  Adjust it accordingly.  I like it to lead with sweet, then tart, followed by lingering spiciness from the red chili powder.

You can keep this in the fridge for a couple weeks.  Pad thai recipe itself will follow in a later post.

Tags: tamarind