I love Pad Thai but some of the ingredients can only be purchased from Asian stores or online. My version therefore uses readily available Oyster sauce instead of dried shrimp and omits the sweet preserved daikon radish. I've also swapped garlic chives for spring onions, as they are both from the onion family and look pretty similar!
The toppings of a Pad Thai are regarded as important as the dish itself. Extra roasted peanuts and lime wedges are key, but it's often also served with extra beansprouts, chilli flakes and garlic chives. I've rather controversially also topped with fresh coriander, because I love it!
Once you've mastered the recipe, then it's easy enough to swap the chicken for prawns, or make it veggie. If you use vegan fish and oyster sauces too then it can be adapted to suit everyone.
Serves 2-3
For the sauce
3 tablespoons of palm sugar
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1½ tablespoons of tamarind puree
1½ tablespoons of oyster sauce
Chilli flakes (optional)
2 garlic cloves
For the stir fry
125g of pad thai rice noodles
1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
85g pressed tofu (optional)
1 shallot
Bunch of spring onions
King prawns
Beansprouts
35g roasted peanuts
1 egg
For serving
Lime wedges
35g roasted peanuts
Chilli flakes (optional)
Beansprouts (optional)
Fresh coriander
- Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boing water. Leave for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
- Peel and finely chop the garlic.
- Place the palm sugar in a pestle and mortar and crush until you have a finer sugar (see image).
- Mix together the sauce ingredients.
- Cut the tofu (if using) into batons.
- Peel and slice the shallot.
- Top and tail the spring onions and cut in half, then half again.
- Devein the prawns.
- Roughly chop the peanuts.
- Finely chop a handful of fresh coriander.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan, over a medium heat.
- When the pan is up to temperature, add the tofu (if using). Stir fry until the tofu is golden. Push to one side of the pan.
- Add a little more oil if needed to the space in the pan, then break add the egg to the pan. Once the white has set, break the yolk and finish cooking.
- Now add the prawns and shallot, and stir fry until the prawns are turning pink.
- Add the beansprouts and stir fry for a 30 seconds.
- Now add the noodles, the sauce and half the peanuts and stir well.
- Turn off the heat and mix in most of the spring onions.
- Serve in a bowl topped with peanuts, coriander, extra beansprouts (if using) and wedge of lime,
