Pad-Thai can sometimes have a bad reputation for being quite oily and high in sugar. Here is how I indulge in one of my favourite foods -- by making a healthy version myself.  This is a really simple Pad Thai recipe that has all the flavour but without excessive amounts of sugar and oil.

If you want to make it lower-fat, you can use chicken breast instead of chicken thigh. You can also customise it to your own tastes (try prawns instead of chicken; eggs instead of (or as well as) tofu; or more chilli if you like it hot like me :).

It's also great for meal prep & you can make it vegan/vegetarian friendly by just omitting the chicken &/or eggs.

Makes: 4 servings. Each serving = 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients:

1 pack (200g) Thai rice noodles

2 tablespoons ghee or peanut oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 small birds eye chillis (optional)

170g firm tofu, chopped up into small cubes

400g chicken thigh, chopped up into small pieces

1/2 cup sliced Chinese spring onions

3 cups mixed Thai green veggies (these shrink a lot when cooked)

2 cups mung bean sprouts

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tbsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp shrimp paste

1 tbsp peanutbutter

1 tbsp brown sugar

lime juice from 2 limes squeezed

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Chopped dry-roasted peanuts for topping (optional)

Coriander for topping (optional)

Extra lime wedges (optional)

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles & cook until just al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain & break apart, so they don't stick together.

In a jug, add rice vinegar, tamarind paste, shrimp paste, peanut butter, brown sugar, lime juice, salt & pepper & fish sauce. Whisk well.

*Note it’s best to cook the noodles in 3 batches. So for 3 batches, divide the following below into 3rds:

In a wok or frying pan, heat the ghee & add the grated ginger & garlic (+ chili if you are using). Once browned, add the chicken. Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked, add tofu & fry until chicken & tofu is browned.

Once the chicken & tofu is cooked, add Chinese spring onion & green veggies, mix until just cooked (around 1 minute). Add rice noodles & pour over the sauce. Stir until noodles are mixed in well & everything is cooked. Add in the bean sprouts at the very end once the heat is off.

Serve topped with extra lime, peanuts & coriander.

Macro breakdown (per serving):

Carbs: 50g / Protein: 30g / Fat: 12g