Pad Thai Fried Noodles

Ingredients:

• 225 g dry wide rice noodles
• 700 g peeled shrimp with tails
• 1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
• 3 tablespoons tamarind juice
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 3 tbsp. l. peanut butter
• 4 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 fresh red chili pepper, sliced
• 1 lightly beaten egg category CO
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup chopped unsalted, roasted peanuts
• 1 lime, cut into small wedges
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation:

1. Soak dry rice noodles in cold or lukewarm water for 30 minutes, until they're no longer chewy but still firm. They'll soften further when cooked in a wok. Drain thoroughly through a colander and let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, tamarind juice, and sugar. Stir well until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust any of the ingredients to achieve your desired combination of salty, sour, or sweet flavors.
   
   Heat a wok over medium-high heat until smoking. Add a tablespoon of oil and quickly stir-fry the shrimp until almost cooked through and just turning pink, 1-2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and cover to keep warm.
3. Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir in the garlic, shallot, and chili pepper. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Move the garlic and onion to one side of the wok and pour the eggs into the center. Fry the eggs, stirring and breaking them up with a spatula, until they are set.
   
   Add the strained noodles to the wok, stirring quickly with two spatulas to separate them into strips. Pour in the fish sauce mixture and stir well to coat the noodles; this will prevent them from sticking together. (If the noodles are still too firm, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to soften them.)
4. When the noodles are fully cooked, add 1/2 of the bean sprouts and peanuts. Set aside the rest for garnish. Continue to stir-fry until the ingredients are combined.
   
   Return the shrimp to the wok and stir the pad thai until heated through. Serve the pad thai on a platter, topped with the sprouts and peanuts, and garnished with lime wedges and cilantro. Squeeze a lime over each serving before eating.