
Thai street food · one-bowl noodles
Pad Thai
Ingredients
Sauce
Steps
Soak the rice noodles in lukewarm water for 20-30 minutes.
~25 min
Mix the fish sauce, tamarind paste, and sugar together for the sauce.
~2 min
Heat oil in a pan and stir-fry the minced garlic and shrimp.
~3 min
Once the shrimp is cooked, push it to one side and scramble the eggs.
~2 min
Add the soaked noodles and sauce and stir-fry evenly.
~3 min
Watch out: Undersoaked noodles come out stiff and break apart easily — make sure they're fully softened first.
Add the bean sprouts and garlic chives and stir-fry briefly.
~2 min
Why: Bean sprouts release water and lose their crunch if cooked too long, so add them last and keep it brief.
Plate and top with chopped peanuts and lime.
~1 min
Tips
- —
Tamarind paste is the key to the sweet-tart flavor — vinegar and sugar work as a close substitute.
- —
Squeeze the lime right before eating for the freshest flavor.
- —
Add the peanuts right before serving so they stay crunchy instead of going soft.
Storage
Refrigerate 1-2 days; being a noodle dish, it's best eaten right away.