Thailand · Main · Medium
Pad thai
Wok-fried rice noodles with tamarind, prawns, tofu and peanuts
Soaked flat rice noodles stir-fried over high heat with prawns, tofu, egg and a sweet-sour-salty sauce of tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce, finished with bean sprouts, garlic chives and peanuts. Soaking rather than boiling the noodles, and cooking only two portions at a time, keeps them chewy and separate instead of sticky.
- Energy
- 866 kcalper serving
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest
- 35 min
- Protein
- 50 g
How was it?
Equipment
- Large bowl for soaking
- Colander
- Small saucepan
- Fine sieve
- Wok (at least 32 cm) or a large heavy frying pan
- Wok spatula or wide metal spatula
Before you start
- Everything must be ready before the wok goes on: the stir-fry takes under 10 minutes.
- Peel and devein the prawns and pat them dry.
- Cube the tofu, slice the shallots, chop the garlic, preserved radish and peanuts.
- Cut the garlic chives and the lime; rinse the bean sprouts.
- Crack the eggs into a cup.
- Line the ingredients up by the stove in the order they go in.
Method
-
Soak the noodles
150 g dried flat rice noodles1.5 l room-temperature waterCover the noodles with the room-temperature water and soak for 30–40 minutes. Drain well in the colander.
Done when The noodles are pliable and opaque white, bend without snapping, and still feel firm when bitten.
Tip Do not soak in hot water or boil them: they finish cooking in the wok and turn to mush if softened too much.
-
Make the tamarind water
30 g tamarind pulp60 ml hot waterSoak the tamarind pulp in the hot water for 10 minutes, then squeeze and mash it with your fingers. Press through the sieve and discard the seeds and fibres.
Done when A thick, smooth brown liquid like runny ketchup, with a sharp sour smell.
-
Cook the sauce
30 g palm sugar2 tbsp fish saucePut the tamarind water, palm sugar and fish sauce in the small saucepan over low heat and stir for 3–4 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Taste.
Done when The sauce is glossy, slightly syrupy, and tastes sour, sweet and salty in equal measure.
Tip Adjust here, not in the wok: more tamarind if flat, more sugar if harsh, more fish sauce if dull.
-
Sear the prawns
2 tbsp sunflower oil200 g raw prawnsHeat the wok over high heat until it smokes lightly, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the prawns. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes and tip them onto a plate.
Done when The prawns have just turned pink and opaque and curled into a loose C shape.
Tip Take them out while still slightly translucent in the centre; they finish cooking later.
-
Fry the aromatics and tofu
40 g Thai or small shallots3 cloves garlic100 g firm or pressed yellow tofu10 g small dried shrimp15 g sweet preserved radishAdd the rest of the oil to the wok over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, tofu, dried shrimp and preserved radish and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes.
Done when The garlic and shallot are pale golden, the tofu edges have browned, and the wok smells strongly savoury.
-
Add noodles and sauce
150 g dried flat rice noodlesTurn the heat to high. Add the noodles and most of the sauce and toss constantly for 2–3 minutes, adding 1–2 tablespoons of water if the noodles stick or look stiff.
Done when The noodles have absorbed the sauce, turned light brown and soft but chewy, with no liquid left in the wok.
-
Cook the egg
2 eggsPush the noodles to one side. Crack the eggs into the empty space, let them set for 20 seconds, then scramble roughly and fold them into the noodles.
Done when The egg is set in soft, yellow curds threaded through the noodles, with no runny white left.
-
Finish in the wok
200 g raw prawns100 g bean sprouts30 g garlic chives30 g roasted unsalted peanutsReturn the prawns to the wok with most of the bean sprouts, the garlic chives and half of the peanuts. Toss over high heat for 30–60 seconds.
Done when The chives have just wilted and turned bright green, the sprouts are hot but still crunchy, and the prawns are opaque all the way through.
-
Taste and plate
30 g roasted unsalted peanuts1 tsp dried chilli flakes1 lime100 g bean sproutsTaste and add a little more of the remaining sauce if needed. Plate and top with the rest of the peanuts, with the raw bean sprouts, chilli flakes and lime wedges on the side.
Done when The noodles are separate and glossy, not clumped, and smell of caramelised tamarind and wok smoke.
Common mistakes
The noodles are mushy and stuck together.
Fix They were soaked in hot water, boiled, or the wok was overloaded. Soak in room-temperature water and cook no more than two portions at a time.
The noodles are hard and chewy.
Fix They were under-soaked or the wok dried out. Add a tablespoon of water at a time and keep tossing until they soften.
The flavour is too sweet or too sour.
Fix The sauce was not balanced before cooking. Taste it in the pan and adjust tamarind, sugar and fish sauce before it goes into the wok.
The prawns are rubbery.
Fix They were cooked through the whole stir-fry. Sear them briefly, take them out, and return them only at the end.
Serving
Serve immediately on warm plates with lime wedges, chilli flakes, raw bean sprouts and, as in Bangkok, a few slices of banana blossom on the side. For 4 people, cook two separate batches.
Storage and reheating
Best eaten straight away. Leftovers keep 1 day in the fridge, covered. Reheat in a wok over high heat with 2 tablespoons of water, tossing until steaming hot all the way through.
Make ahead
The sauce keeps 1 week in the fridge in a jar. Prep all the stir-fry ingredients up to 4 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge.
Variations
With chicken
Replace the prawns with 200 g of chicken thigh, sliced thinly. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until it reaches 74 °C, then continue as written.
Vegan
Leave out the prawns, dried shrimp and egg, and use 200 g of tofu. Replace the fish sauce with the same amount of light soy sauce plus a pinch of salt (soy sauce contains gluten unless labelled gluten-free).
Wrapped in egg
Beat 2 extra eggs and spread them in a thin layer in an oiled wok over medium heat. When just set, put the finished pad thai in the middle and fold the egg over it like a parcel.
