High Protein Chicken Pad Thai

Ingredients

• 240 g dried rice noodles (soaked in warm water for 45 minutes)
• Thai chilli powder (to serve)
• Lime wedges (to serve)
• 2 tbsp tamarind purée
• 3.5 tbsp stevia sweetener
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1 small onion (thinly sliced)
• 400 g chicken breast (thinly sliced)
• 125 g firm tofu (diced)
• 3 spring onions (cut into 3cm pieces, white and green parts separated)
• 2 eggs (lightly whisked)
• 1.5 cup bean sprouts (plus extra to serve)
• 20 g roasted peanuts (finely chopped, plus extra to serve)

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 45 minutes until softened but still slightly firm. Drain well and set aside.

2. 2

   In a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind purée, stevia sweetener, fish sauce, and oyster sauce to create the Pad Thai sauce.

3. 3

   Heat the neutral oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat.

4. 4

   Add the finely chopped garlic and thinly sliced onion to the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the sliced chicken breast and cook until almost cooked through. Push the chicken and aromatics to one side of the pan.

6. 6

   Pour the whisked eggs into the empty side of the pan and scramble until just set, then mix them through the chicken mixture.

7. 7

   Add the diced tofu, the white parts of the spring onions, and the prepared sauce to the pan. Cook for 1 minute.

8. 8

   Add the soaked noodles, bean sprouts, and the green parts of the spring onions. Gently toss everything together, being careful not to overwork the noodles so they don’t break.

9. 9

   Cook for 1-2 minutes until everything is well coated and heated through.

10. 10

    Stir through the finely chopped roasted peanuts.

11. 11

    Serve immediately with extra bean sprouts, Thai chilli powder, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Notes

To prevent noodles from breaking or becoming mushy, ensure they are only soaked until 'al dente' and avoid aggressive stirring once they are added to the wok. The author notes that these noodles are 'emotionally fragile'.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• high-protein
• healthy
• dairy-free
• stir-fried
• fakeaway
• dinner