An exquisite balance of flavours makes pad Thai one of Thailand’s best-loved dishes.
Ingredients
- 300g wide rice stick noodles
- 2-3 tbsp dried shrimp
- 3 tbsp prepared tamarind paste
- 3 tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
- 3 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 Thai or regular shallots, finely chopped
- 1-2 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 large free-range eggs, beaten
- 500g small, cooked and peeled prawns
- 2 handfuls beansprouts
- Bunch of spring onions, shredded
- Handful unsalted roasted peanuts,
- roughly chopped
- Bunch of fresh coriander, leaves
- roughly chopped
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
Method
- 1. Place the rice noodles in a large bowl and pour over warm water to cover. Put the dried shrimp in another bowl and add warm water to cover. Leave both to soak for 20 minutes or until soft, then drain well.
- 2. Meanwhile, make the sweet-and-sour paste. Mix the tamarind paste with a splash of hot water to loosen. Add the fish sauce and palm sugar; mix, taste and adjust to give a nice combination of sweet, salty and sour.
- 3. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan. When it’s good and hot, fry the garlic and shallots for 30 seconds. Add the drained dried shrimp and chilli flakes and toss together. Add the drained noodles to the wok and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then push to one side. Add the eggs and allow to set, then scramble them and mix into the noodles.
- 4. Add the sweet-and-sour paste and stir well. Add the prawns, beansprouts, spring onions and half the peanuts. Toss well and cook for a few minutes.
- 5. Divide the pad Thai among 4 serving bowls, sprinkle with the coriander and remaining peanuts, and serve with the lime wedges, to squeeze over.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 616kcals, 13.5g fat (2.3g saturated), 37.9g protein, 85g carbs, 15.2g sugar, 5g salt
Wine Recommendation
Lime-scented Riesling is best for a pad Thai, especially one with prawns. We recommend a modern New Zealand label.