This dish a great choice for a gluten free meal as you don’t have to substitute any of the main ingredients. Pad Thai is basically a stir-fry and, once the chopping is done, it involves little more than combining and stirring, coming together quickly. This version of the dish is a hearty meal even if you don’t add meat. Some ingredients in this recipe may be unfamiliar but don’t feel excessive buying them as once you make this meal once you will be sure to want to make it a regular feature at your dinner table.

The dish uses rice noodles, which are flat and range from very thin to more than a quarter-inch wide. These noodles do not require boiling. Instead, they ae just soaked in hot water until they are tender. This means you don’t have to time them quite as closely as those made from semolina pasta. The vegetables are cut into thin strips like they are in noodle form. If you really want to have fun with this recipe pick up a spiralizer and spirilize the vegetables. This actually will make the dish healthier since you’ll keep adding more vegetables just to be able to spirlize them

This recipe also uses tamarind paste, which now comes in several kosher brands available in larger kosher supermarkets or online. The paste is very sour, but has a more interesting taste than other types of citrus. The recipe calls for up to 5 tablespoons of the paste mixed with water but as different brands can vary widely in potency and the flavor may appeal more or less to different people make sure to add a little at a time and taste as you go. Fish sauce (nam pla) is also used in this dish which is made from fermented anchovies. While it smells terrible it tastes fantastic when added to this dish so don’t decide to leave it out just because of its less than scrumptious aroma. A touch of honey and rice vinegar balance out the taste.

Like Vietnamese cuisine, Thai food is made with fresh herbs and spices instead of dried seasoning. Make sure to pick up fresh herbs for a true Thai flavor to the dish.