Pad Thai

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 12

About this dish

Pad thai is Thailand's most widely recognized stir-fried noodle dish, centered on a sauce made from tamarind paste, fish sauce, and sugar that balances sweet, sour, and salty flavors in every bite.

The proportion of these three ingredients is what determines the character of the final dish, and adjusting them even slightly shifts the balance noticeably. Dried rice noodles soak in lukewarm water for twenty minutes until they are pliable but still firm enough to hold up under high heat without becoming mushy. Firm tofu is pan-fried first until golden on all sides, establishing a nutty, textured base, then shrimp are added and pushed to the side as soon as they turn pink. The eggs are scrambled in the cleared center of the pan rather than mixed in with everything else, which allows them to set into thin, irregular sheets that distribute evenly through the noodles when tossed. Adding the soaked noodles and sauce over high heat and tossing quickly causes the noodles to absorb the sauce rapidly, developing a glossy, amber-toned coating. Bean sprouts stirred in at the very end keep their crunch, coarsely ground peanuts provide a roasted, brittle texture, and a squeeze of fresh lime just before eating introduces a bright acidity that sharpens the whole dish.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

Rice noodles (5mm)200 gg

Shrimp150 gg

Firm tofu100 gg

Egg2 piecepiece

Bean sprouts80 gg

Tamarind paste2 tbsptbsp

Fish sauce (nam pla)2 tbsptbsp

Sugar1 tbsptbsp

Cooking oil2 tbsptbsp

Green onion30 gg

Crushed peanuts30 gg

Lime1 piecepiece

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Control

Soak 200 g rice noodles in lukewarm water for 20 minutes.

Drain them when they bend easily but still feel firm in the center, so they do not turn mushy during the high heat stir-fry.
2

Season

Stir together 2 tablespoons tamarind paste, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon sugar before cooking.

Mix until the sugar is dissolved, because the noodles absorb the sauce quickly once they hit the pan.
3

Control

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat.

Fry 100 g firm tofu until golden on the edges, then add 150 g shrimp and push them aside as soon as the outside turns pink.
4

Prep

Push the tofu and shrimp to the edge and crack 2 eggs into the cleared center.

Stir only as they begin to set, forming thin pieces that will mix through the noodles without clumping.
5

Season

Raise the heat to high and add the drained noodles with the sauce.

Toss quickly for about 2 minutes, turning from the bottom often, until the noodles look glossy and amber rather than wet.
6

Finish

Add 80 g bean sprouts and 30 g green onion at the end and toss for only 30 seconds to keep their crunch.

Turn off the heat, then serve with 30 g crushed peanuts and lime for squeezing.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Tamarind paste, fish sauce, and sugar balance the sweet and sour notes of this Thai stir-fry.
Finish cue: Toss quickly for about 2 minutes, turning from the bottom often, until the noodles look glossy and amber rather than wet.
Avoid this: Drain them when they bend easily but still feel firm in the center, so they do not turn mushy during the high heat stir-fry.