Name: Pad Thai with Prawns
Prep time: 18 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 140 g Flat Rice Noodles, soaked until pliable and drained; 180 g Prawns, peeled and deveined; 1 Egg, lightly beaten; 80 g Tofu, firm, cut into small cubes; 1 cup Bean Sprouts, rinsed and drained; ¼ cup Chinese Chives, cut into short lengths; 3 tbsp Roasted Peanuts, roughly crushed; 1½ tbsp Tamarind Paste, smooth; 1½ tbsp Palm Sugar, grated or finely chopped; 1½ tbsp Fish Sauce; 1 tbsp Key Lime Juice, fresh if possible; 2 clove Garlic, finely chopped; 1 Dried Red Chili Peppers, crushed, optional for heat; 2 tbsp Neutral Oil

30 mintotal

Prep 18 min · Cook 12 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild

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Method

Whisk the tamarind paste, palm sugar, fish sauce and key lime juice until the sugar mostly dissolves.
Heat a wok or wide pan over high heat, add the measured neutral oil, then sear the prawns until just pink and opaque. Remove them to a plate.
Add the tofu and garlic to the same pan and stir-fry until the tofu edges are lightly golden and the garlic is fragrant.
Push everything to one side, pour in the beaten egg and scramble softly before mixing it through the tofu.
Add the drained noodles and prepared sauce. Toss quickly until the noodles are glossy, tender and evenly coated.
Return the prawns to the pan with bean sprouts, Chinese chives and crushed dried chili. Toss briefly so the vegetables stay crisp.
Finish with roasted peanuts and serve immediately while the noodles are hot and loose.

How to tell it's done

The prawns should be opaque and just firm, the noodles springy, and the bean sprouts still crisp.

Getting it right

Tip

Cook over high heat and keep the noodles moving; Pad Thai should be glossy and lightly chewy, not wet or clumped.

What to serve it with

Serve with extra bean sprouts, crushed peanuts and a small lime-style wedge on the side.

Substitutions

Use Rice Vermicelli if Flat Rice Noodles are unavailable, but reduce cooking time because thinner noodles soften faster.
Use firm white fish instead of prawns for a non-shellfish seafood version; keep the fish pieces large so they do not break.
Use Lemon instead of Key Lime Juice only if lime-style juice is unavailable; the flavor will be less Thai-style.
Check packaged fish sauce and tofu labels if avoiding gluten or soy cross-contact.

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Ingredients