Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (40g) finely chopped palm sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) water
- 4 tablespoons (60ml) tamarind paste
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) fish sauce
Pad Thai
- 4 ounces (115g) dried rice noodles, medium size, rehydrated
- 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60ml) neutral oil
- 8 to 10 medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 5 cloves (25g) garlic, chopped
- 1/3 cup (40g) thinly sliced shallots
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups (150g) bean sprouts
- 8-10 stalks garlic chives, cut in 2-inch (5cm) pieces
- 1/4 cup (35g) unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 lime, cut in wedges
- Roasted chili flakes (optional)
Method
For the sauce
- Melt the sugar in a small pot over medium-high heat. Once melted, let it cook until it becomes a deeper caramel color. Immediately add the water, turn the heat down to medium, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the tamarind paste and fish sauce.
For the Pad Thai
- Using scissors, cut the soaked noodles roughly in half.
- Place a wok or large nonstick skillet on high heat and pour in enough oil to coat the bottom. Lay the shrimp down in one layer and sear without moving them for 2 minutes. Flip and cook until done, then transfer shrimp to a bowl, leaving the oil behind.
- Add a bit more oil to the pan if needed so that you have about 3 tablespoons (45 ml). Having enough oil is important to make sure that the noodles don’t clump together.
- Add the garlic and shallots, and turn the heat to medium. Stir until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to the hottest it can go, and add the noodles and sauce. Toss together until most of the sauce has been absorbed. At this point it will look like there aren’t nearly enough noodles, but don’t panic, the dish will bulk up with the veggies and proteins.
- Push the noodles to one side of the pan to create space for the eggs, then break the eggs into the pan. Scramble slightly just to break the yolks, then move the noodles on top of the eggs and let the eggs continue to cook for another 30 to 45 seconds, until they are mostly cooked. Flip the noodles and then toss to break up the eggs.
- Give the noodles a quick taste to check their doneness. If they’re too chewy, add a splash of water and keep tossing for 1 minute or so to allow the water to absorb.
- Add the shrimp back to the pan, along with any juices, and toss to mix. Turn off the heat and add the bean sprouts, garlic chives, and half of the peanuts. Use tongs to mix just until everything is evenly distributed. Plate immediately—you want the bean sprouts to be as fresh as possible, so don’t let them linger in the hot pan unnecessarily.
- Top with the remaining peanuts and serve with wedges of lime. Add some roasted chili flakes for heat, if desired.