PALEO/GLUTEN FREE/DAIRY FREE/LOW CARB/
10 WEEK CHALLENGE FRIENDLY/MEAL PREP FRIENDLY/WEIGHT LOSS FRIENDLY
I’m assuming this is the case with most people, but me and Pad Thai go waaaaaay back. Back into a time before paleo was apart of my life and back into a time where takeaways was. Whilst Thai has some of the best options for if you’re in a pinch and out to dinner (helloooooo Massaman Curry), Pad Thai can often be loaded with sugar and excess carbohydrates.
Traditionally a gluten free dish, this recipe didn’t need much tweaking to be lower carb and paleo. I’m sure with further tweaks you could make this keto friendly, but for science the purpose of this recipe I decided to stick to as close to traditional as possible.
Whilst I personally will eat rice and rice products on the odd occasion since I’m no longer trying to lose weight (rice is a naturally gluten free grain and I don’t notice any digestive issues when eating *white rice* however it IS naturally high in carbohydrates so its best to avoid during weight loss) therefore have made this using rice noodles but in the instance of this recipe, and the interest of my followers who are trying to lose weight, I have used Konjac noodles (Konjac/Shirataki/Miracle Noodles/Yam Noodles).
Konjac noodles are something I eat on the odd occasion when I was noodles that aren’t made from zucchini but are still low in carbohydrate. You can find them in the health food section by a couple of different brands – Slendier is the only brand I can remember at present. I don’t include these very often as they’re a low nutrient food that is still a bit processed. There is also many questions around if they’re good for our health or not. You can read an interesting article written by The Paleo Mom on them here.
As with most foods – moderation is key. Overdoing anything is never a good idea, so switching it up between meals and vegetables will ensure you have a wide array of nutrients going into your body.
I was really tempted to tell you that the above lesson does not apply to Pad Thai because Pad Thai is so delicious it should be exempt from such rules, but that would be a lie. However, this recipe IS delicious and you SHOULD try it!
Oh p.s. with this recipe it’s important to have all of your ingredients ready to go before you start the actual cooking, because once you start the actual cooking, it all happens pretty quickly.
Don’t forget to tag me in your creations – @elorahh and #theshrinkingviolet – I LOVE seeing your photos.
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| Servings | People + leftovers |
- 1 package konjac noodles
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste you can find this in the international section at the supermarket or an asian grocery store
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp Coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 2 tbsp Coconut oil
- 500 grams prawns or chicken
- 2 shallots chopped, or a small brown onion
- 2 cloves garlic crushed and chopped
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp cashews roasted and roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 lime quartered
- 1 spring onion chopped
- handful coriander chopped (optional)
Ingredients
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- Place your noodles in a colander and rinse thoroughly under running water. This step is important as the liquid they are stored with doesn't smell pleasant. Set aside.
- In a small glass jug, mix together tamarind paste, fish sauce, coconut sugar and sriracha then place in the microwave for one minute. Stir to combine and repeat until the coconut sugar has dissolved.
- Heat your coconut oil in a large pan or wok over a medium high heat and add your prawns/chicken, shallots and garlic then saute for 3-4 minutes.
- Add your tamarind sauce mixture and your noodles and toss to combine then push to one side of the pan.
- Add the egg to the empty side of the pan and leave to cook for around 30-45 seconds before tossing through the noodle mixture to combine.
- Finally add your cashews and bean sprouts before tossing together once more.
- Serve garnished with spring onion, coriander, extra cashews and a wedge of lime.
This recipe was adapted from closetcooking.com
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