Authentic Pad Thai

About This Recipe

Pad Thai was created as Thailand's national dish in the 1930s under Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram as part of a campaign to build Thai national identity. True pad thai uses tamarind paste (not ketchup), fish sauce and preserved radish. The wok must be screaming hot.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 200 gdried sen lek (thin rice noodles)
• 200 graw prawns/shrimp(peeled and deveined)
• 2eggs
• 100 gextra-firm tofu(diced)
• 2 tbsptamarind paste
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tbspoyster sauce
• 1 tbsppalm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 stalksspring onions(cut into 3cm pieces)
• 100 gbean sprouts
• 3 tbsproasted peanuts(roughly chopped)
• 1lime(cut into wedges)
• 1 tbspdried shrimp(optional but traditional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the noodles

   Soak rice noodles in room-temperature water for 30 minutes until pliable but NOT fully soft — they will finish cooking in the wok. Drain.

2. 2

   Make the pad thai sauce

   Whisk together tamarind paste, fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar until sugar dissolves. Taste — it should be sour, salty, sweet, in that order.

3. 3

   Get the wok screaming hot

   Heat wok over maximum heat until just smoking. Add oil. The high heat is non-negotiable — 'wok hei' (breath of the wok) is the smoky char that makes pad thai distinctive.

   If your home burner is weak, cook in smaller batches to maintain temperature.

4. 4

   Fry tofu and shrimp

   Fry tofu cubes until golden on all sides. Add shrimp, cook 1 minute per side. Push to the side.

5. 5

   Add noodles and sauce

   Add drained noodles and pour sauce over. Toss vigorously for 1–2 minutes until noodles absorb the sauce. If noodles are sticking, add 2 tbsp water.

6. 6

   Scramble eggs into the noodles

   Push noodles to one side. Add a touch more oil. Crack eggs into the space, scramble briefly, then toss everything together.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Add bean sprouts and spring onions. Toss 30 seconds. Plate immediately. Top with crushed peanuts, dried shrimp. Serve with lime wedges, extra fish sauce, sugar and chilli flakes on the side.

Variations

• •

  Pad Thai Jay (vegan): replace shrimp with extra tofu, fish sauce with soy + seaweed.

• •

  Pad see ew: use flat wide noodles, broccoli, Chinese broccoli — a darker, sweeter alternative.

Storage

Pad thai is best fresh. Leftovers keep 2 days — reheat in a hot wok with a splash of water.

Frequently Asked Questions