Tulo

Pad Thai Recipe

Stir-fried rice noodles in a tangy tamarind sauce with shrimp, egg, tofu, and crushed peanuts, made just like a Thai street stall.
Photo by Augustinus Martinus Noppé on Pexels

Balancing tamarind's sourness against fish sauce's saltiness and palm sugar's sweetness in the right proportions is what makes the sauce taste like real pad Thai rather than a generic sweet noodle stir-fry, and cooking everything fast over high heat keeps the noodles from turning gummy.

Prep
30 min
Cook
15 min
Total
45 min
Servings
4

Ingredients

Servings4
  • 8 oz dried flat rice noodles (pad Thai noodles)
  • 3 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
  • 4 oz firm tofu, cubed
  • 12 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups bean sprouts, divided
  • 1 cup garlic chives or scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
  • 1/3 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
  • 4 wedges lime wedges, for serving
  • 1 tsp dried chili flakes, for serving

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Instructions

  1. 1Soak the rice noodles in room-temperature or lukewarm water for 30-40 minutes, until pliable but still firm, then drain.
  2. 2Whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, and palm sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves, this is your pad Thai sauce.
  3. 3Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat.
  4. 4Add the garlic and shallot and stir-fry 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  5. 5Add the tofu and shrimp, stir-frying until the shrimp turn pink, about 2 minutes.
  6. 6Push everything to one side of the wok, crack the eggs into the empty space, and scramble briefly before folding into the rest.
  7. 7Add the drained noodles and the sauce, tossing constantly, and stir-fry 2-3 minutes, until the noodles are tender and have absorbed the sauce.
  8. 8Add half the bean sprouts and the garlic chives, tossing another minute, until just wilted.
  9. 9Remove from heat and plate, topping with the remaining raw bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, lime wedges, and chili flakes.

Tips & variations

  • No tamarind paste, a mix of lime juice and a touch of brown sugar approximates the sourness, though the flavor won't be quite as deep.
  • Chicken or a fully vegetarian version with extra tofu and mushrooms in place of the shrimp both work well with the same sauce.
  • Palm sugar has a rounder, less sharp sweetness than white sugar, light brown sugar is the closest common substitute.
  • Keep the raw bean sprouts and peanuts as a garnish added at the very end, cooking them into the noodles loses their crunch.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet or wok with a splash of water to loosen the noodles, a microwave works but the noodles turn softer and less distinct.

Nutrition

A balanced dish with protein from the shrimp, tofu, and eggs alongside the carbohydrate-heavy rice noodles.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

  • Have every ingredient prepped and within arm's reach before you turn on the heat, pad Thai moves fast once the wok is hot and there's no time to chop mid-cook.
  • Undersoak the noodles slightly rather than oversoak them, they keep cooking in the wok and mushy noodles can't be fixed once they're overcooked.

FAQ

What can I use instead of tamarind paste?

A mix of fresh lime juice and a little brown sugar can stand in, it won't have quite the same fruity depth, but it gets close to the sweet-sour balance tamarind provides.

Why are my pad Thai noodles mushy?

This usually comes from oversoaking the dried noodles before cooking, or stir-frying them too long in the sauce, aim for noodles that are still slightly firm going into the wok.

Can I make pad Thai vegetarian?

Yes, swap the fish sauce for soy sauce or a vegetarian fish sauce substitute, skip the shrimp, and add extra tofu and vegetables like mushrooms or bell peppers.

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