Pad Thai

From the kitchen of Carly

Bangkok street-cart classic in 20 minutes. Rice noodles tossed in a sweet-sour-salty tamarind glaze with prawns, peanuts, and a squeeze of lime. The trick is having everything chopped before the pan gets hot. Don't soak the noodles too long. Five minutes max, then ice water. Mushy noodles are the number-one pad thai killer.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai lives or dies on two things: the balance of lime, fish sauce, and sugar hitting all at once, and the noodles staying loose instead of clumping into a brick. Twenty minutes and you're eating properly charred, slightly chewy rice noodles tossed with prawns that are still tender, bright herbs, and a sauce that tastes like Thailand without a trip.

Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Servings
2
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

2 servings

  • 4 oz(125 g)flat rice noodles
  • 3 tbsplime juice (about 3 limes)
  • 1/2 tspcayenne pepper
  • 2 tspmuscovado or brown sugar
  • 2 tbspfish sauce
  • 2 tbspvegetable oil
  • 7 oz(200 g)tiger prawns or shrimp, peeled
  • 4spring onions, finely sliced
  • 5 oz(140 g)bean sprouts
  • 1 oz(25 g)roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 handfulfresh cilantro
  • 2lime, cut into wedges
  • 1 for servingsweet chili sauce, to serve (optional)

Instructions

  1. Put the rice noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 4 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, cayenne, sugar, and fish sauce. This is your glaze. Have everything else chopped and within arm's reach.

  3. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Add the prawns and stir-fry for 1 minute, until pink and just cooked through.

  4. Toss in the spring onions and the noodles. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.

  5. Pour the lime-fish-sauce mixture over everything. Add the bean sprouts and half the peanuts and cilantro. Toss for 1 minute until the noodles soak up the glaze and everything is hot.

  6. Pile onto a serving plate. Scatter the remaining peanuts and cilantro over the top. Serve with lime wedges and sweet chili sauce on the side.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Soak the noodles just until pliable, not mushy. They finish cooking in the wok with the glaze, so undershoot by 30 seconds if you're not sure.
  • Mix your glaze before you start cooking. Once the heat is on, you're moving fast and there's no time to fiddle with ratios.
  • Don't underseasoning the fish sauce. It's not fishy when balanced right with lime and sugar, just deeply savory and essential.

Variations

  • Swap the prawns for chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces, or keep it vegetarian with extra bean sprouts and cashews.
  • Add a beaten egg at the start, push it to the side of the wok to scramble, then toss with the noodles for richness.
  • Cut the fish sauce by half and add tamarind paste instead for a different kind of tang that's less funky but still complex.
  • Load it with vegetables: thinly sliced bell pepper, carrots, or snap peas added with the spring onions keep things fresh and colorful.

Make ahead and storage

Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 2 days, but Pad Thai is best eaten fresh. Reheat gently in a hot pan or wok with a splash of water to loosen the noodles, then serve with fresh lime and herbs to wake it back up.

Substitutions
  • tiger prawns to diced chicken thigh, firm tofu, or sliced beef. All work. Tofu first to crisp; chicken cooks 4 minutes; beef stays in for 90 seconds.
  • fish sauce to soy sauce + a pinch of salt. Loses the funk but keeps the dish balanced. Vegan-friendly with this swap.
  • muscovado sugar to brown sugar, palm sugar, or honey. Any unrefined sweetener works. Keep the quantity the same.

Pairs well with: A cold Singha or Chang beer, Quick cucumber salad with rice vinegar and chili, Iced Thai tea for dessert