When we think of Thai cuisine, the first dish that comes to mind is always pad thai. Maybe it‘s the name, maybe it‘s because it‘s really the most famous dish of many people‘s favorite cuisine, or maybe it‘s because it‘s a classic found on the menus of numerous, not only Thai but generally Asian restaurants. A dish you can‘t go wrong with.

Noodles, vegetables, protein of choice, peanuts. Simple, yet so good. That‘s pretty much how the most famous Thai woman in Zagreb, Saralee Madnui, describes it. On her menu at the small kiosk in Vlaška Street in Zagreb, and later at the venue on the corner of Branimirova and Crvenog križa Street, it has been there from the very beginning and is by far the most frequently ordered dish. On the very morning we called her to arrange filming, she was checking how things were going lately and told us that still no other dish has come close to pad thai.

Marko Miscevic/Cropix

"To start with, I think people here love pad thai because of the noodles. It‘s something familiar to them, like pasta, and the taste isn‘t too strong, the dish isn‘t too spicy, but it has character. It‘s sweet, salty, slightly sour, has some level of flavor, and I think that‘s why people like to come back to it. Pad thai is actually a dish for beginners in Thai and generally Asian cuisine. For tourists and foreigners," Saralee told us, adding that she was initially surprised by the popularity of pad thai because she had learned that Croatians really love salty food, which this dish is not, but it still attracted them. Then, she says, she just went with the flow and cooked it the best she could.

Berislava Picek/Cropix

As she explained to us, the original preparation uses rice noodles, and fresh ones at that, which are somewhat harder to find in Croatia, then protein, most often shrimp, but chicken or pork can also be used, plus additions like Chinese chives and sprouts, and pad thai sauce made from tamarind paste and a few other ingredients. Finally, everything is finished off with peanuts. Dried shrimp are also usually added to pad thai, but they have a very intense smell, and they are hard to find and expensive here, so often only fresh shrimp are used and fish sauce is added.

"Pad thai is actually a pretty flexible dish, it can always be adapted to what you have and what you like. Here in Zagreb, people love shrimp, but the most popular option is actually chicken. We also get a lot of vegetarians, so pad thai with tofu is also often ordered."

Berislava Picek/Cropix

On a good day, Saralee sells from 70 to 100 portions of pad thai in her two venues, which is about five times more than green curry, which is also one of the more popular dishes in Saralee‘s Thai street food restaurants. Even during our conversation, while we watched the terrace of her restaurant quickly fill up and guests constantly rotate, most of the orders were for pad thai. Proven good, tasty, simple and not too heavy, just ideal to break up your day and get back to your obligations. And best of all, it‘s very easy to make at home, following the recipe kindly shared with us by the charming Saralee Madnui.

PAD THAI KOONG

You will need:

130 g rice noodles (soaked in warm water and drained)
150 g fresh shrimp
1 tbsp diced tofu
2-3 eggs
sprouts
Chinese chives or spring onion
1 tbsp thinly sliced shallots
1 tbsp chopped peanuts
1 wedge of lime
2 tbsp oil
4-5 tbsp pad thai sauce
For pad thai sauce:
4-5 tbsp water
3 tbsp tamarind paste
1-2 tbsp white or palm sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
half a tbsp sriracha
1 tsp fish sauce
salt
Preparation:
First make the pad thai sauce. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until you get a syrup-like thick sauce. Heat oil in a wok. Add the shallots and fry until fragrant. Add tofu and fry. Add the shrimp and let them fry. Add the rice noodles and fry everything together for a minute or two. Add the sauce, stir, then push the noodles to the side of the wok and add the vegetables and egg to the center. Stir to scramble the egg into pieces, then mix with the noodles. Add peanuts, sprouts and Chinese chives or finely chopped spring onion. Mix everything well and fry briefly, then transfer to plates. Serve with more peanuts, sprouts, and a wedge of lime.