← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 150 g dried flat rice noodles (pad thai / 5 mm)
• 2 tbsp tamarind purée (not concentrate)
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• 2½ tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar, grated
• 1 tbsp Oyster sauce (optional)
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 Shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 100 g firm or pressed tofu, cut into small batons
• 1 tbsp Dried shrimp, chopped (optional)
• 150 g raw prawns (or thinly sliced chicken), peeled and deveined
• 2 Eggs
• 100 g Bean sprouts
• 1 handful garlic chives (or spring onions), cut into 4 cm lengths
• 3 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped
• 1 Lime, cut into wedges
• chilli flakes, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Soak the noodles in warm (not hot) water for 30 min, until bendy but still firm in the centre. Drain. Stir the sauce ingredients together until the sugar dissolves; taste it, it should be sour, sweet and salty in equal measure.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat. Fry the tofu for 2 min until golden at the edges, then add the shallot, garlic and dried shrimp and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add the prawns and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until just pink. Push everything to one side.
4. Add the noodles and sauce and toss for 2–3 minutes, until the noodles soak up the sauce and turn soft and glossy. If they stick or still feel hard, splash in 2 tbsp water.
5. Push the noodles aside, add the last 1 tbsp oil and crack in the eggs. Let them set for about 1 minute, then scramble lightly and fold through the noodles.
6. Toss in most of the bean sprouts, chives and peanuts for 30 seconds, just until the chives wilt. Serve straight away with lime wedges, the rest of the sprouts and peanuts, and chilli flakes.

Tips

• Contains peanuts and shellfish. Oyster sauce usually contains wheat, so skip it to keep this gluten-free.
• Cook no more than two portions at a time; a crowded wok steams the noodles into a clump.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats Rachel Cooks Thai BBC Good Food