Pad Thai at Home
True Pad Thai isn't a wet noodle dish; it is a dry, quick-fired tangle of textures. The secret is keeping the noodles from turning into mush by soaking them in room-temperature water rather than boiling them.
Gather everything within arm's reach before lighting the stove.
Once the wok is hot, there is no time to hunt for a missing ingredient. You need the wok to remain at a constant high temperature to achieve the right char.
- wok or large heavy-bottomed skillet
- tongs
- small mixing bowl
What goes in.
- 4 ozdried flat rice noodles
- 3 tbsptamarind concentrate
- 3 tbsppalm sugar, finely chopped
- 2 tbspfish sauce
- 2 tbspneutral oil
- 1/2 cupfirm tofu, small cubes
- 1/2 lbshrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cupsfresh bean sprouts
- 3garlic chives, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cuproasted peanuts, crushed
Soak, Don't Boil
Submerge the rice noodles in room-temperature water for 30 to 45 minutes. They are ready when they are opaque and flexible enough to bend without snapping but still offer significant resistance to a bite.
The method.
Prepare the sauce
Whisk the tamarind concentrate, palm sugar, and fish sauce in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves completely.
Sear the proteins
Heat the oil in your wok over high heat. Add the tofu and sear until golden. Toss in the shrimp and cook until just pink.
Add noodles
Push everything to one side of the wok. Add the drained noodles and a splash of water. Toss them rapidly for 1 minute until they soften.
Sauce and scramble
Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss to coat. Push the mixture aside, pour the eggs into the empty space, and scramble until set. Fold everything together.
Final fold
Turn off the heat. Stir in the bean sprouts and garlic chives immediately; the residual heat will wilt them just enough while maintaining their crunch.
Other turns to take.
Chicken
Substitute the shrimp for thinly sliced chicken breast or thigh, ensuring it is cooked through before adding the noodles.
Vegetarian
Replace the fish sauce with a high-quality light soy sauce and omit the shrimp.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never overcrowd the pan; if cooking for more than two, do it in batches.
If the sauce is too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time to loosen it.
Serve immediately with a wedge of lime to brighten the tamarind.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my noodles turn into a gummy mess?
You likely soaked them for too long or boiled them. They should finish cooking in the wok with the sauce.
Can I use regular white sugar if I don't have palm sugar?
Yes, but palm sugar provides a depth and earthiness that white sugar lacks. Reduce the amount slightly as it is quite dense.
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