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Pad Pak Ruammit

 

Toasted sesame seeds are maybe not traditional, but they're delicious.


This is my attempt to recreate the beautiful simplicity of my favorite dish at Sabai. I've tried many times to find a good recipe for Thai "garlic sauce," or "garlic and black pepper sauce," but Sabai lists it with a real name (pad pak ruammit) and that led me to my most successful google search yet.

I worked from this recipe from Siam Sizzles. It's good, but it needed a bit more oomph. Specifically:
1) Add freshly cracked black pepper
2) Increase the proportion of soy sauce
3) Drizzle chili oil on top, to taste

Sabai still does it better, but this is delicious.


The Recipe:
1 tb sugar
3 tb soy sauce, plus more to taste
2 tb oyster sauce
2 tb water
2 tb sesame oil
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1 block tofu, cubed and baked or fried
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 handful snap peas, sliced
1 crown broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

rice, for serving
chili oil, for garnish
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
  • Mix sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, sesame oil, and pepper in bowl
  • In a wok over medium-high heat, stir fry the vegetables and garlic, then add the pre-cooked tofu and stir to combine
  • Add sauce into wok and stir to combine
  • Serve over rice with optional chili oil and/or toasted sesame seeds

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A
Overall reason: Simple, light, flavorful
Time to prepare: 45 minutes including baking the tofu and cooking the rice
Husband quote: "This is very good."

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