Pad Thai, the Thai Way

Pad Thai is a stir-fried rice noodle dish with peanut flavor.  It is one of the most popular dishes of Thailand known here in the Philippines, well at least in Manila, which I initially thought to be so complicated (especially when I saw my Mom-in-law cook it!).  But in our trip to Bangkok last September, my husband and I realized how easy it is to cook Pad Thai.  Here's a simple street version of the dish, which we and other foreigners enjoyed eating along the streets of Bangkok:







Ingredients:

garlic (although the second time we bought Pad Thai, the lady didn't put any)
egg
bean sprouts
green beans (thinly sliced)
carrots (thinly sliced)
wansoy (optional. Looks very much like Chinese celery but has a milder smell and has a very different taste; similar to what is being used in Tom Yum Soup)
Noodles (rice/egg/bihon.  I prefer using the rice noodles because it is the original ingredient for this dish)
Padthai paste (this is my add-on to this recipe.  It is usually sold in supermarkets and what I use is the Thai Heritage brand, which has a combined taste of dried shrimp and tamarind, another two of the main ingredients of this dish)
cooking oil
fish sauce

1)  Cook noodles according to package instructions.  Set aside.
2)  Heat oil in pan.
3)  Saute garlic (then onion if you decide to put some).
4)  Add egg and scramble on the pan.
5)  Stir in vegetables.  Don't overcook!
6)  Put in some pad thai paste (just enough to coat vegetables and noodles). 
7)  Add noodles and mix with the rest of the ingredients.
8)  Season with fish sauce.

If you want to try a heavier version of the dish which is typically served in restaurants, you can check out the following sites:

http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/recipes/Pad_Thai.htm
http://www.templeofthai.com/cooking/about_pad_thai.php