Recipe
Pad Thai
Street-style pad Thai for four, cooked two portions at a time in a smoking-hot wok: soaked rice noodles, prawns and tofu in a tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar sauce, finished with peanuts and lime.
- Total time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Prep time
- 45 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
Preparation
Step 1
Soak the rice noodles in room-temperature tap water for 30–40 minutes, until they bend freely but still have a firm, slightly chalky core when you bite one. Drain well and leave them in a colander.
Step 2
Make the sauce: warm the tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar (chopped fine) in a small pan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Taste it: it should be distinctly sour, salty and sweet, and stronger than you would want to eat on its own. Let it cool.
Step 3
Prepare everything before heating the wok, because the cooking takes minutes. Peel and devein the prawns. Cut the tofu into 1.5 cm cubes and pat dry. Finely slice the shallots, mince the garlic, and chop the preserved radish and dried shrimp small. Cut the garlic chives into 4 cm lengths and keep the white and green parts apart. Crush the peanuts coarsely. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Cut the limes into wedges.
Step 4
Heat a wok over the highest heat until it just begins to smoke. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and fry the tofu for 3–4 minutes, turning, until golden on most sides. Lift it out and set aside.
Step 5
Cook in two batches of two portions each, as described below. For each batch, add 1 tablespoon of oil, then half the shallots, garlic, radish and dried shrimp. Stir for 20 seconds until fragrant and the shallot begins to colour.
Step 6
Add half the prawns and toss for about 1 minute, until they are pink and curled but not yet tight.
Step 7
Add half the noodles and a quarter of the sauce, and toss and press for 1–2 minutes. The noodles will take up the sauce, turn translucent and become tender yet chewy. If they are still hard, add a splash of water and continue for another minute.
Step 8
Push the noodles to one side, add 2 eggs to the cleared space and break the yolks. Leave for 20 seconds until the whites are set, then fold the noodles over them.
Step 9
Add half the tofu, half the bean sprouts, the white parts of half the chives and a quarter of the sauce. Toss for 30 seconds only, so the sprouts stay crisp. Add the green chive parts and half the peanuts, toss once, and plate immediately.
Step 10
Wipe out the wok, return it to full heat for a minute, and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Tip
Soaking the noodles and wok heat
Serving
Storage
Allergens in this recipe
Crustaceans
Contains crustaceans and crustacean products
Egg
Contains eggs and egg products
Fish
Contains fish and fish products
Peanuts
Contains peanuts and peanut products
Soybeans
Contains soybeans and soybean products
This describes the classic recipe, so you know what to ask about. It is not a declaration for any particular kitchen — recipes and suppliers vary, and only the restaurant can tell you what is in the dish it serves.
