Pad Thai

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent many a Saturday night with friends, a few Singhas in hand, surrounded by half a dozen take-out containers of red curry, green papaya salad, pad see ew, and my personal favorite, pad Thai. It’s always a must-order, which is why it’s especially disappointing to get a lackluster one. Not to worry—your days of too-sweet sauce, gummy noodles, or overcooked protein are over. With just a few special ingredients, you can make this subtly sweet, tangy, nutty, and salty Thai dish, right at home, exactly how you like it (and in less than time it takes to get it delivered).

What People Are Saying:
“Best ever. Daughter made it and l will never want take out again.We did sesame and chilli oil. This dish is so flexible.” - BlueHammer

“This has become one of my go-to recipes. Very quick, easy and delicious!” - eli8579

How To Make Pad Thai

INGREDIENTS

• Rice Noodles: Rice noodles are traditional for pad Thai, but not all are created equal. You’re looking for thin, flat rice noodles that aren’t too thick, preferably made in Thailand—dried is more readily available, but fresh works too.
• Peanut Oil: A standard for stir-fries the world over, peanut oil adds a tinge of nutty flavor and has a high smoke point. If you don’t have any peanut oil on hand, feel free to swap in another neutral oil, like canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or safflower oil.
• Shrimp: Medium, savory-sweet shrimp are my favorite to pair with the tangy, umami flavor bomb that is pad Thai. That being said, feel free to swap in your favorite protein—chicken, tofu, or stir-fried vegetables would also be great here.
• Eggs: Scrambled eggs add even more savory richness to this dish that’s equal parts salty, fatty, acidic, and spicy. Not in the mood for eggs (or making a vegan version)? Feel free to skip the eggs.
• Tamarind Puree: This sour, sweet, and tangy fruit is the most important ingredient for achieving that true pad Thai flavor. For this version, we opted for tamarind puree, but tamarind paste will work too (make sure it's a product of Thailand rather than India). If you opt for the latter, you’ll need to separate the paste from the seeds by first soaking the block in warm water, then use your fingers to remove the seeds.
• Palm Sugar: Similar to coconut sugar and jaggery, palm sugar is an unrefined sugar with a slightly floral, rich caramel flavor that adds distinct flavor to pad Thai. It usually comes in a hard, solid block or disc that can seem intimidating. Simply use your box grater, microplane, or a mortar and pestle to get it to a more manageable, granulated consistency. Can’t find palm sugar? Try light brown sugar instead.
• Thai Fish Sauce: Also called nam pla, Thai fish sauce is what provides the salty, rich umami flavor to pad Thai. Though fish sauce is fairly easy to find in the supermarket (technically even Worcestershire sauce counts!), for this recipe, you’ll want to source an option that says “product of Thailand.”
• Bean Sprouts: Also known as mung bean sprouts, bean sprouts add a bit of crunchy, fresh vegetal flavor that helps balance out all of the more pungent ingredients.
• Lime Juice: The best pad Thais have plenty of acidity to them, which lime juice delivers in spades—be sure to have plenty of limes on hand for mixing the sauce and for squeezing with wedges when serving.
• Garlic & Shallots: Our so-called Allium Alliance, garlic and shallots key for building a foundation for our pad Thai, with garlic adding a bit of savory bite, while shallots add a mellow sweetness.
• Cayenne Pepper: Thai food utilizes many kinds of pepper for adding heat, but often they can be tricky to find at the store. I’ve found that using the readily available earthy, fruity pepper like cayenne pepper more than does the trick for pad Thai.
• Peanuts: Adding a bit of crunch and fattiness, peanuts also help to neutralize spice if you accidentally go overboard with the cayenne pepper.
• Scallions: Also labeled as green onions, scallions, when stir-fried are maybe my favorite part of pad Thai. They lend a mellow savory onion flavor and slight crunch.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

If using dried noodles, in a large pot or heatproof bowl, soak the noodles in boiling water (removing the pot from heat) until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. This will allow them to be bendable but still firm. They will continue to cook in the wok with the sauce to the perfect consistency, so don’t be afraid of these more-than-al-dente noodles.

Meanwhile, in a large wok over high heat, heat 1 Tbsp. oil. Add shrimp and cook, turning halfway through, until just cooked through and pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

Next, it’s egg scrambling time. In the same wok, heat 1 Tbsp. oil. In a small bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up curds with a spoon, until just set, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the cooked shrimp and set aside.

For our all-important sauce, grab a small bowl and whisk together palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind concentrate, lime juice, cayenne, 2 Tbsp. oil, and 1 Tbsp. water until combined.

In the same wok you cooked the shrimp and eggs, bring the heat to medium-high, and heat 2 Tbsp. oil. Cook the shallot and garlic, stirring frequently, until lightly golden, for about 1 minute. Add the scallions and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until softened, for another 1 to 2 minutes. Then, stir in the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer.

Once simmering, add the eggs, shrimp, and noodles to the pan and cook, tossing constantly, until warmed through and noodles are softened, which will take about 2 minutes more. Add the bean sprouts and peanuts and toss again to combine.

Divide the pad Thai among plates or shallow bowls. Top with cilantro (if using) and extra lime wedges. For all the spice fiends out there, keep your sriracha or chili paste at the ready if you need more kick.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Make it your own: The best part of making pad Thai at home? You can make it exactly the way you like it. If you're not a shrimp fan, feel free to swap it for chicken, tofu, or stir-fried veggies. Don't love eggs? Leave 'em out.
• Don't boil your noodles: Yes, really. Whichever noodles you find (fresh or dried), don’t boil them! Fresh can go directly into the recipe, while dried rice noodles need to be soaked in boiling water first. Remove your water from the heat and soak the dried noodles for 20 to 30 minutes, until they're bendable but still firm, as they'll continue to cook in the wok.
• Fixing a too-spicy pad Thai: Ever notice that Thai restaurants pretty much always have crushed peanuts at each table? That’s because the fat in peanuts help neutralize the spice of a dish, a little trick I learned while waiting tables at a Thai restaurant when patrons accidentally ordered something “Thai spicy.”

Storage

This can be made 2 days ahead; just store it in an airtight container and refrigerate. The noodles will absorb the sauce as it cools, so reheat very slowly in a nonstick pan or in the microwave, then refresh the dish with a squeeze of lime juice and peanuts.