Pad Thai

Pad Thai

Thailand's iconic stir-fried rice noodle dish, balancing sweet, sour, salty and nutty flavours, cooked fast in a hot wok for that signature springy texture.

Prep

20 min

Cook

10 min

Total

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz) flat rice noodles (Pad Thai style), soak in warm water for 30 minutes until pliable but not soft
• •3 tbsp tamarind paste, if using tamarind pulp, soak in 4 tbsp hot water, strain
• •3 tbsp palm sugar, or brown sugar
• •3 tbsp fish sauce
• •2 tbsp water
• •2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• •150 g (5½ oz) firm tofu, cut into 1 cm cubes
• •200 g (7 oz) fresh prawns (or chicken), peeled, deveined; optional but traditional
• •2 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked in warm water, roughly chopped; optional
• •3 cloves garlic, minced
• •2 shallots sliced thinly
• •150 g (5½ oz) fresh bean sprouts, rinsed, drained
• •50 g (1¾ oz) garlic chives (or regular chives), cut into 5 cm lengths
• •50 g (1¾ oz) roasted peanuts, crushed for garnish
• •1 lime cut into wedges, for serving
• •1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
• •3 tbsp vegetable oil, for stir-frying

Steps

1. 1 Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 30 minutes until pliable but still firm; drain well and set aside.
2. 2 Make the sauce: in a small bowl, stir together tamarind paste, palm sugar, fish sauce, and water until the sugar dissolves. Taste: it should be sour, sweet and salty in balance; adjust with a little more tamarind or sugar if needed.
3. 3 Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tbsp oil, then the tofu cubes and stir-fry until golden on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. 4 Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to the wok. Add garlic and shallots; stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant but not burned.
5. 5 Add the prawns (if using) and dried shrimp; stir-fry until prawns turn pink and opaque (about 2 minutes). Push everything to one side of the wok.
6. 6 Pour the beaten eggs into the empty side of the wok and scramble quickly until just set but still soft, about 30 seconds.
7. 7 Add the soaked noodles and the sauce mixture. Toss everything together over high heat using a spatula or tongs, scraping the bottom to avoid sticking. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are tender but still springy and have absorbed the sauce.
8. 8 Return the tofu to the wok. Add half the bean sprouts and half the garlic chives; toss for 30 seconds—the sprouts should remain crisp.
9. 9 Remove from heat and divide among plates. Top with remaining bean sprouts and chives, crushed peanuts, chilli flakes, and a lime wedge on the side. Serve immediately, with extra fish sauce and sugar on the table if desired.