Greetings food adventurers! Today we venture to the land of the Valley of the Four Winds on the isle of Pandaria for a relaxing lunch of Pad Thai with the Pandaren people. If you have not visited before, the Pandarens are pretty much humanoid pandas (think kung-fu-panda). Winter is nice, but sometimes we need to head to a warm place for a mental and physical break from all the snow. The farms here are known for their giant carrots, featured in this tasty noodle dish.

In the center of bright green rolling hills of farmland, a wide dirt road leads to Halfhill, a small village of wooden buildings. We pass wagons full of oversized vegetables on their way to markets and yaks being herded between fields. The friendly Pandarens wave and welcome us, directing us to the inn at the top of the hill. The weather is always pleasant here, with a warm breeze, and the inn has all the windows open to celebrate the day. We hear birdsong and wind chimes while we drink hot green tea to begin the meal. This village feels like a place that has always been here and will always be here. The atmosphere is calm and comforting. The world slows down.

I have a video to share too! Here is a video of the area with ambiance music for your cooking and to go along with your meal: Valley of the Four Winds

Pad Thai has a long ingredient list, but the cooking comes together quickly once the ingredients are gathered. To make dinner easy, the chicken can be cut up and the sauce put together in advance (just give it a quick stir before cooking time). The chicken is optional or could be replaced with tofu to make the dish vegetarian. Definitely don’t skip the carrots!

Pandaren Pad Thai

Flavorful noodle dish with eggs, carrots, and chicken.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Pandaren, Thai

Equipment

• Large wok or large high-sided saute pan

Ingredients

  

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• 16 – oz package rice noodles
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ⅛ to ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• ¼ cup safflower oil or sesame oil
• 6 eggs
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts CUT INTO BITE-SIZED PIECES
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil or your favorite high-heat oil
• 1 cup grated carrots
• ¼ cup crushed peanuts or cashews for serving
• 2 green onions chopped (for serving)
• 1 lime sliced (for serving)

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
• 2 to 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• 6 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 to 3 tsp peanut butter creamy preferred, crunchy can work
• 1 tsp paprika

Instructions

 

• Make Noodles: Follow the instructions on the package of noodles for cooking. Finish cooking noodles before starting on the chicken. Rinse noodles well under cold water.
• Make sauce: Mix together in a small bowl: vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, peanut butter, and paprika.
• Make chicken: Heat olive oil in a wok or large heavy skillet. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and chicken; sauté chicken until browned. Remove from wok and set aside.
• Heat safflower oil in wok over medium-high heat. (if not making chicken, add garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil and sauté for a minute until garlic is fragrant)
• Crack eggs into a small bowl (to ensure no shells get into the meal). Pour eggs into the hot oil, stirring to break the yolks and half-scramble, and cook until firm.
• Add sauce and carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add cooked noodles and stir gently so they don’t break up. Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Sprinkle crushed nuts and chopped green onions over the top and serve with a lime wedge.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!