Pad thai is one of the best known dishes in Thai cuisine.
It is a dish sautéed in a wok (sautée) based on rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce (Thai น้ำปลา), tamarind paste, red pepper, and any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken decorated with chopped peanuts. Like toast and coriander, some Korean experts use two types of soy sauce. It is usually served with a lemon wedge and the juice of this fruit is added to the dish as a condiment. In Thailand it can be served decorated with a banana flower, palm sugar and roasted chili powder.
Check out a great homemade Pad Thai recipe for you to prepare!
Pad Thai
4
servings30
minutes20
minutesFor your Pad Thai to be very tasty and similar to the original from Thailand, check the necessary ingredients and follow the step-by-step preparation mode.
Ingredients
6 oz 175g dried 5mm-wide flat rice noodles
1 tsp sesame oil
1 3/4 oz 50g pot of potted brown shrimp (the teeny tiny shrimp in butter) – * (see note 1)
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of garlic salt
20 large raw king prawns – peeled and de-veined
3 cloves garlic – peeled and minced
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
2 eggs – beaten
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
2 tsp shrimp paste
2 tbsp dark soy sauce or tamari for gluten free
1 tbsp Thai preserved radish – chopped (optional)
1/3 cup 40g roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
4 spring onions (scallion – halved, then finely sliced lengthways
3 1/2 oz 100g fresh bean sprouts (mung bean sprouts)
2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander/cilantro
- To serve
2 limes – sliced into wedges
1 fresh red chilli – sliced
Extra chopped coriander/cilantro – spring onions, chopped peanuts and chilli flakes
Directions
- I’m going to start by bringing a large pan of water to the boil and we’re going to use that to cook these wide flat rice noodles that are available in most supermarkets. Place 175 grams or 6 ounces of those noodles into the boiling water, turn off the heat and leave to stand for 3 to 4 minutes until the noodles are softened.
- Now we’re going to strain them and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Now we’re going to strain them and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Now a little trick to stop the noodles from sticking together is to drizzle over about a teaspoon of sesame oil and toss them together with the tongs.
- Now those noodles are cooked we’re gonna bring all the flavours of that pad Thai together, so we’re gonna heat the wok over a high heat and we’re going to start with 50 grams or an ounce in three quarters of potted shrimp. They go into the wok along with one and a half tablespoons of vegetable oil, a third of a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of garlic salt.
- Fry them for two to three minutes until lightly golden, now remove the shrimp from the wok with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl.
- Now to the oil that’s been left in the wok we’re going to add around 20 de-shelled and de-veined king prawns, plus 3 minced cloves of garlic and half a teaspoon of dried chili flakes. Fry them together for about 2 to 3 minutes until the king prawns just start to turn pink.
- Beat a couple of eggs in a cup and then add them to the wok.
- Fry stirring often until the eggs are just scrambled.
- Now turn down the heat and add those cooked noodles from earlier.
- Next in goes the cooked potted shrimp along with two tablespoons of fish sauce, a teaspoon of tamarind paste, two tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce, a tablespoon of soft brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of shrimp paste and 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce.
- Toss everything together heating for about 5 minutes until the noodles are hot.
- Now we’re gonna add in a tablespoon of Thai preserved radish, 40 grams or 1/3 of a cup of roasted peanuts, 4 sliced spring onions or scallions, 100 grams or three and a half ounces of bean sprouts and about 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped coriander or cilantro.
- Toss together and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes until the bean sprouts are just heated through.
- Plate up and serve with lime wedges and topped with fresh red chillies.
- And that’s how you make a delicious Pad Thai, super tasty and packed full of those Thai flavours. You can also sprinkle on extra spring onions, fresh coriander, chilli flakes and chopped peanuts, you know I love my toppings, can’t wait to dig in.
Your Pad Thai is ready!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Potted shrimp usually used in authentic Pad Thai. If you prefer you can replace the potted shrimp with 30g of dried shrimp (available from Asian supermarkets). Add an extra 1 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil when frying them up. I find dried shrimp a little too chewy and pungent. The potted shrimp are small and juicy.