Pad Thai looks like a lot of ingredients, but the cooking is quick. Mix the tamarind sauce first and cook two small batches so the noodles fry instead of steaming.
Ingredients
- 250 g flat rice noodles, about 3–5 mm wide
- 250 g firm tofu or chicken breast, cut into small pieces
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste or concentrate, adjusted to strength
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 eggs
- 200 g mung bean sprouts
- 1 bunch garlic chives or spring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths
- 60 g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Chilli flakes to taste
Method
- Soak rice noodles in cold water for 30–45 minutes until flexible but still firm. Drain.
- Heat tamarind, fish sauce, sugar and soy sauce in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Taste: it should be strongly sweet, sour and salty.
- Heat a large frying pan until very hot. Add 1 tbsp oil and cook the tofu or chicken through. Remove.
- Add the remaining oil and garlic. Crack in the eggs, let them set briefly, then break them into large pieces.
- Add noodles and sauce. Toss vigorously for 2–4 minutes, adding water a tablespoon at a time if needed, until the noodles are just tender.
- Return the tofu or chicken and add half the sprouts and the chives. Fry for 1 more minute. Serve with the remaining sprouts, peanuts, lime and chilli.
Tips and variations
- In a regular home frying pan, cook two smaller batches so the noodles have room to fry.
- Tamarind products vary in strength, so taste and adjust the sauce before frying.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetarian fish sauce or light soy sauce plus a little extra salt.
