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Pad Thai
Thailand's national noodle dish — tangy tamarind rice noodles with egg, tofu, dried shrimp, and peanuts.
20 mins
10 mins
2 people
Thai
Flat rice noodles (3mm)
Soaked 30 mins, not boiled
200g
Shrimp or chicken
200g
Eggs
2
Firm tofu
Cubed and fried
150g
Bean sprouts
2 cups
Spring onions
Cut in 2cm pieces
4
Dried shrimp
Optional but authentic
2 tbsp
Tamarind paste
3 tbsp
Fish sauce
2 tbsp
Palm sugar or brown sugar
2 tbsp
Oyster sauce
1 tbsp
Roasted peanuts
Chopped
1/3 cup
Chili flakes
1 tsp
Lime
Wedges for serving
2
🍽️ Tamarind block
→ Tamarind concentrate or paste from jar
Same flavor, easier to use
🍽️ Palm sugar
→ Brown sugar or muscovado
Same caramel-like sweetness
Soak noodles in room-temp water 30 mins until pliable. Drain well.
💡 Pro Tip: Soak, don't boil — soaked noodles finish cooking in the wok without going mushy.
Mix sauce: tamarind, fish sauce, sugar, oyster sauce. Taste and balance.
💡 Pro Tip: Pad Thai sauce must balance sweet, sour, and salty equally. Taste twice before using.
Screaming hot wok with oil. Add protein, cook quickly. Push to side.
💡 Pro Tip: High heat is non-negotiable. Low heat steams instead of fries.
Crack eggs into cleared space, scramble briefly, then fold into protein.
💡 Pro Tip: Folding slightly undercooked egg into the noodles creates authentic texture.
Add noodles, sauce, toss quickly. Add bean sprouts and spring onions off heat.
💡 Pro Tip: Add bean sprouts off heat — they should be crunchy, not wilted.
- ✓Soak noodles, don't boil them
- ✓Never cook over low heat — it must be screaming hot
- ✓Balance the sauce before cooking — it's hard to fix in the wok
- ✓Add bean sprouts last to keep crunch
- ✓Dried shrimp is an authentic flavor that makes a big difference
- →With lime wedges
- →With chili flakes and fish sauce on the side
- →With extra peanuts