I’ve always liked Pad Thai, but never really thought about making it myself until I saw this recipe on David Lebovitz’s website, now we make it all the time. It feeds 2 but if you get greedy, you might want to double the recipe. Just saying.
Pad Thai
- 4 ounces dried thin, flat rice noodles
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 12 medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on (preferably)
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 2 eggs, beaten together in a small bowl
- 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
- 3 ounces firm tofu
- 3 scallions (just the green parts), cut into 1 1/2″pieces
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped, plus an additional 2-3 tablespoons (chopped) for garnish
- Lime wedges, for garnish
- Sriracha, optional to taste
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the noodles. Let the noodles sit in the water for 5 minutes, stirring them a few times as they sit. Drain the noodles and rinse well under cold running water, separating the noodles with your fingers, and set aside.
Mix the fish sauce, sugar, and tamarind paste in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re just about cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the wok or skillet and set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok or skillet and add the shallots and garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then add the cooked noodles and fish sauce mixture. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring, until everything is well combined.
Push the noodles to the side of the wok or skillet and add the eggs to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until they start to set, about 30 seconds, then add the cooked shrimp, 1 cup of the bean sprouts, the tofu, scallions, and 1/4 cup peanuts. Continue to cook, stirring, until everything is well combined and heated through, about 30 seconds. If the mixture looks a little dry (the noodles should be slicked with sauce with some extra floating around), add a tablespoon or so of water or chicken stock.
Transfer to a serving plate. Serve sprinkled with the remaining bean sprouts, peanuts, lime and Sriracha and enjoy!
My verdict:
This was so good (and easy) we made it twice in 3 days! Frank gave it his highest rating “you can make this any time”. It really does only make enough for 2 people, so you might want to up all the quantities a bit, because you’re going to want more.
I added the Sriracha as optional, but we always end up squirting it on any batch of Pad Thai we’ve ever had.
The second time I made it, I used some thinly sliced pork cutlets that I marinated in some Chinese garlic sauce I found in the fridge and it was just as good as the shrimp version. Now, most of the time I toss in some rotisserie chicken instead of the shrimp and tofu.
Both times I only used one tablespoon of vegetable oil and it was fine. If you need more to sauté the shallots and garlic, add it, but I didn’t need to.
There weren’t any bean sprouts in the store, so neither of the batches I made had them and it was fine without them. The peanuts are good, giving it a nice crunch so keep them in, but this recipe like fried rice, can be made with whatever you like and will still be good.
