January 2024

Pad Thai with Shrimp

Pad Thai (or Phat Thai) is one of the most widely recognized Thai dishes in the United States, offering a delicious combination of salty, sweet, and sour flavors soaked up by tender rice noodles. This recipe is my version of the dish as found stateside. I encourage you to search the web for more information about the dish, its history, and its variations - the short version of which is that Pad Thai as you know it is probably different than the original dish or from how you'll find it served in Thailand. In any case, and in my opinion, as long as the sauce doesn't have ketchup or tomato sauce, the ingredients are fresh, and it is prepared with care, even our western-palette-adapted versions are a worthy one-plate meal.

Servings: 2

Time: 45 minutes

Sauce Ingredients:

¼ cup palm sugar, grated (or light brown sugar)
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup tamarind soup base, made from 1 Tbsp tamarind concentrate plus 3 Tbsp water
1 tsp sriracha sauce (optional)

Stir-fry Ingredients:

1 good handful of rice noodles (a little more than 1" diameter bundle)
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 to 10 fresh shrimp (U20-24)
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
[optional] 1 tablespoon chopped salted radish
¼ cup extra-firm tofu, pressed to expel moisture, cut into ½" x ½" x 1" pieces
¼ to ⅓ cup water
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
¼ cup carrot matchsticks
¼ green onion, cut into 1" pieces
1 or 2 teaspoons sugar (palm sugar or white sugar)
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
a few lime wedges
[optional] fried garlic, shallot, or both for garnish

Directions:

Prepare sauce by grating palm sugar, adding sauce ingredients to a small bowl, and stirring until mixed and sugar is dissolved.
Prepare tofu by draining, sandwiching between paper towels and applying pressure with a dinner plate to press out moisture. Cut into ½" x ½" x 1" pieces.
Soak rice noodles in warm water for 15 minutes. It is okay if they sit for a little longer while preparing other ingredients.
Mince garlic and finely dice shallot. Rinse then gently squeeze dry preserved radish and mince, if using.
Prepare vegetables. Rinse and dry all produce. Peel and cut carrot into matchsticks (approximately 1/8" square by 2 inches long), cut green onion into 1" pieces.
Beat egg lightly in a small bowl.
Heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add egg and stir-fry until just cooked. Remove and set aside on a plate.
Heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When hot, cook shrimp until until just done, being careful not to overcook.
Heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil in the wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add garlic, shallot, and radish. Stir-fry until fragrant.
Add tofu and fry until tofu is lightly browned.
Increase wok heat to high. Drain and add rice noodles along with ¼ to ⅓ cup of water. Stir-fry until water is absorbed and wok is dry.
Add carrot, green onion, bean sprouts, egg, shrimp, about ¼ cup of sauce, and 1 or 2 tsp of sugar. Stir-fry until sauce is absorbed and vegetables are tender.
Divide among two plates or bowls, topping with cilantro, peanut, fried shallot or garlic, and garnish with a wedge of lime. Provide fish sauce, sugar, and chili flakes as condiments on the table.

Notes:

Prepare all of your ingredients before starting to cook. The cook time is short, but everything must be ready to go when needed.
Between steps, add neutral oil as needed to wok and heat over medium-high heat to reach the quantity specified.
Substitute light brown sugar for palm sugar in sauce if needed.
If you don't have a wok, use a non-stick frying pan.

Pictures: