ThailandSoutheast Asia

Pad Thai

Name: Pad Thai
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7 oz Rice noodles (flat stick), half a package; 3 tbsp Tamarind paste; 2 tbsp Fish sauce; 3 tbsp Light brown sugar, packed; 225 g Shrimp (raw, peeled), peeled and deveined; 115 g Firm tofu, cut into small cubes; 3 cloves Garlic, minced; 30 g Shallot, finely chopped; 2 Eggs (large), beaten; 3 tbsp Vegetable oil; 4 stalks Green onions (scallions), cut into 3 cm lengths; 1 cup Mung bean sprouts (optional); ¼ cup Roasted peanuts, crushed; 1 Lime, cut into wedges; ½ tsp Crushed red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

40 minServes 2$48.25

Flat rice noodles are stir-fried with shrimp, firm tofu, shallot, garlic, and egg in a sweet-sour sauce of tamarind, fish sauce, and sugar, then tossed with green onion and served with crushed peanuts, lime, and chili flakes. Tamarind is kept as the sour base of the sauce; brown sugar stands in for palm sugar, and green onion for garlic chives.

Ingredients

7 ozRice noodles (flat stick)half a packageBuy 1 package
3 tbspTamarind pasteBuy 1 package
2 tbspFish sauceBuy 1 bottle
3 tbspLight brown sugarpackedBuy 1 bag
225 gShrimp (raw, peeled)peeled and deveinedBuy 0.5 lb
115 gFirm tofucut into small cubesBuy 1 package
3 clovesGarlicmincedBuy 1 head
30 gShallotfinely choppedBuy 0.07 lb
2Eggs (large)beatenBuy 1 carton
3 tbspVegetable oilBuy 1 bottle
4 stalksGreen onions (scallions)cut into 3 cm lengthsBuy 1 bunch
1 cupMung bean sprouts (optional)Buy 1 package
¼ cupRoasted peanutscrushedBuy 1 bag
1Limecut into wedges
½ tspCrushed red pepper flakes (optional)for servingBuy 1 jar

Substitutions

Light brown sugar in place of “Palm sugar”. Light brown sugar is used because palm sugar is unpriced at the reference store; both are caramel-toned sugars used here as a seasoning.
Green onions (scallions) in place of “Garlic chives (Chinese chives)”. Green onions replace garlic chives, which are not a canonical ingredient; they are milder and lack the garlicky note.

Method

Soak the noodles in warm water until pliable but still firm, about 25 minutes; drain.
Stir the tamarind paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar with 2 tbsp water until the sugar dissolves.
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat and fry the tofu until golden; add the shallot and garlic for 30 seconds, then the shrimp until just pink.
Push everything aside, scramble the eggs in the space, then add the noodles and sauce and toss until the noodles are tender and have absorbed the sauce, adding a splash of water if dry.
Toss in the green onions and the bean sprouts if using, and serve with crushed peanuts, lime wedges, and chili flakes if using.