Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

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Thai Beef Salad Nachos

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Nachos are one of my favorite things to make for an iftar party. They are super versatile because literally anything will taste delicious on a hot bed of tortilla chips and melted cheese.  

I created an Indian version last year – my chicken tikka nachos (please do check that out!) that was a real hit, but this time I wanted to do a simple Thai version that required a little less work.  

I came across the dish – Nam Tok a few months ago –  a lovely salad consisting of tender strips of beef seasoned in soy sauce and fish sauce and palm sugar and garlic with a fresh salad consisting of onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, and basil. When turned into a nachos dish, it’s a much lighter take than a traditional beans, ground beef, and cheese combo but still incredibly savory.

Instead of salsa, I top my nachos with a good amount of sriracha for extra heat. You can of course add extra condiments like sour cream, guacamole, etc. But these are great just as written too!

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Thai Beef Salad Nachos

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Beef Marinade

  • 1 lb beef or lamb (cut into strips)
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 1/2 tsp red chili flakes or to taste
  • 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tsp palm sugar may substitute with regular or brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 1 serrano chilie

Salad

  • 1 green onion
  • 1 Tbsp basil optional
  • 3 Tbsp cilantro
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2-3 small cucumbers (or 1 large)
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 lime
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Nachos Assembly

  • 3-4 cups Tortilla Chips
  • 8 oz cheese of your choice (shredded)
  • 2-3 Tbsp sriracha hot sauce
  • sour cream, guacamole, salsas optional – to taste

Instructions

Thai Beef

  1. Combine marinade ingredients (fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, palm sugar, chili flakes) and mix well. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. You may also leave overnight in the fridge.

  2. If using a less tender cut, add meat to pressure cooker to tenderize. Afterwards add to a hot skillet with oil and fry until crispy and caramelized. You may also add a serrano chilie if you like for extra heat. Squeeze some lime juice over the top and taste and adjust for seasoning.

  3. Salad

  4. Dice onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, cilantro, green onion finely. Add salt, pepper, and lime juice. Taste and adjust for seasonings.

  5. Assembly

  6. Set your oven broiler to 500 F. On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper, add one layer of tortilla chips.

  7. Toss the meat and shredded cheese evenly. Place in oven for about 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts.

  8. Once the cheese has melted, remove and add your salad. Squeeze some sriracha all over. Feel free to add extra condiments such as sour cream, beans, guacamole, and various salsas and hot sauces. Your nachos are ready to serve!

Low-Carb Pad Thai

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Pad Thai is a phenomenal noodle dish, but if you’re trying to watch the calories it isn’t always the most ideal thing to eat.

Luckily, I stumbled across an amazing solution.

I found these fabulous shirataki tofu noodles that absolutely do the trick. Unlike rice or flour noodles, shirataki noodles are made out of the fiber of yam – which allow them to be a low-calorie option. The trick to preparing them is to not boil them. Just drain and wash under cold water and then allow that water to evaporate over medium-high heat.

A pad thai sauce is a delicate balance of sweet, sour, and salty respectively in the forms of palm sugar, tamarind, and fish sauce. Getting the ratio right can be a bit difficult, especially since brands can vary – so make sure to taste and adjust before adding it in to your stir-fry.

What goes in a pad thai is totally up to your personal preference – some people like egg, some people don’t. Some people do just sprouts, some do carrots, some do both. Pick and choose whatever you have on hand – it will be fine, I promise.

Pad thai is so simple and easy to make at home, please do give these a try even if you are on a diet!

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Low-Carb Pad Thai

A low-carb version of pad thai using shirataki noodles. 

Ingredients

  • 16 oz Shiratake Tofu Noodles (2 8 oz packs) comes in different varieties, feel free to use whichever you’d like
  • 6 oz tofu (or substitute with protein of your choice)
  • 4 green onions
  • 4-5 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup carrot (cut into matchsticks of ribbons)
  • 1/3 cup sprouts
  • 1.5 Tbsp roasted peanuts (crushed)
  • 1 small cucumber optional

Pad Thai Sauce

  • 3 Tbsp tamarind concentrate amount needed may vary, depending on brand you’re using!
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 4 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 59 grams palm sugar (3 cubes) may substitute with 2-3 Tbsp of brown sugar
  • 2 tsp red chili flakes (or to taste)

Instructions

Pad Thai Sauce

  1. Combine palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind and water in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Mix. Microwave for a few more 30 second intervals until palm sugar has dissolved. You can also do this over the stovetop. If you are using brown sugar, you can skip the microwave. Just mix until the brown sugar is combined!

    Note – You may need less or more of the tamarind concentrate depending on the brand you’re using! I use the Thai brand pictured above. Make sure to taste and adjust. It should be a balance of sweet, salty, and sour!

Shirataki Tofu Noodles

  1. Drain the noodles and rinse well under cold water. Do not boil. Add to a hot wok or pan on medium-high heat with no oil just so you can evaporate the water and allow the noodles to slightly crisp up. Once the water has been evaporated fully, remove from pan.

Stir-Fry

  1. Add your oil to the wok. Now add in your protein. Cook for a few minutes, then add in you green onions (white ends) and garlic. Cook down. Make sure not to burn the garlic! 

  2. Remove from wok. Then add your noodles back in along with your pad thai sauce. Allow the pad thai sauce to simmer down fully and coat the noodles. The sugar in the sauce will eventually start caramelizing and turn the noodles brown. 

  3. Toss in your carrots and sprouts. Combine well. Top with peanuts, sprouts, sliced cucumbers. Serve with lime wedges.

Bhindi Masala

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Bhindi is the most frequently cooked vegetable curry in my household. Whether it’s paired with naan or paratha, simple white rice or pulao, daal or tempered yogurt – bhindi masala always has a place on the kitchen table.
I know some people complain about okra being slimy, but this method of cooking it – cutting it into ½ inch rounds and sauteeing it until crispy takes away the unpleasant slimy texture.
The onions and tomatoes give it extra body, sweetness, and acidity alike. For spices – I keep it simple with just a bit of turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, and coriander.
This is the kind of simple-everyday food that I grew up eating and it would be a terrible shame if I didn’t share the recipe here with you!

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Bhindi Masala

A simple yet delicious Indian okra curry made by sauteeing okra with onions, tomatoes, and spices

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp oil
  • 2 lbs okra (yields 8 cups)
  • 1 1/4 cup onion (diced, about 1 1/2 small onions)
  • 2 tomatoes
  • lime juice (to taste)

Spices

  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash any dirt off the okra. With a knife, remove the heads and the bottom stem of the okra. Cut into small 1/2 inch or so rounds. 

  2. Add your oil into a wide pot or pan. Add in your okra. Stir frequently. The okra will take time to cook. Do not add salt just yet. 

  3. After 15 minutes or so, the okra will start releasing its juices and start cooking down.  Add in the diced onions. 

  4. Once the onions are about to get translucent and the okra is caramelizing down, add in the salt. Then add in the tomatoes and spices. Allow the tomatoes to cook down completely. 

  5. Taste and adjust for seasonings. You may need to add more salt and/or spices and lime juice.  Serve with roti or rice.