Pad Thai 🦐🥢
The first time I had Pad Thai was on a date, which honestly feels like a very fitting way to discover a dish because I immediately fell in love with it. It surpised my tastebuds. The noodles are chewy and I’ve never tried rice noodles before. It tastes savory and sweet and nutty at the same time. It tastes really good on first bite. Then when I went to Thailand, obviously I had to try Pad Thai again. You know, for research purposes. I wanted to compare it to the one I had back home, and its pretty close.
Recently I’ve decided to try making it by myself and I’m surprised at how easy it is to cook. I thought it would be complicated but its not. And thankfully, my family liked it too, which is always the real test. So if you’re craving Pad Thai but have convinced yourself it’s too complicated to make at home, this is your sign to just make it. I hope you like it as much as I do ♡
Ingredients
🦐 Noodles & Proteins
200g Pad Thai rice noodles (dry)
150g raw shrimp (peeled, deveined, and optionally halved lengthwise)
100g firm tofu (cubed into 1/2-inch pieces)
2 eggs
Aromatics & Veggies
1 1/2 cups fresh toge (mung bean sprouts)
1 handful pechay/ Napa Cabbage(thinly sliced)
white onion, finely diced (about ½ cup)
1/2 medium red onion (finely sliced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 large handful string beans (sitaw) (trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces)
2 tbsp oil (for frying tofu and shrimp)
Extra bean sprouts (to the side once cooked)
2 1/2 brown sugar
Pad Thai Sauce
1 packet (15g) tamarind seasoning + 3 tbsp warm water (dissolved first)
2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
2 1/2 brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
Toppings
1/4 cup crushed salted peanuts
3–4 calamansi halves
1–2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Chili flakes & crispy fried garlic or onion (optional)
Instructions
- Place the dry rice noodles in a large bowl. Cover them completely with warm water. Let them soak for 20–30 minutes until soft, pliable, and bendable. (40–60 minutes if using room temperature/cool water). Drain completely and set aside after.
- In a bowl, mix the tamarind mixture, fish sauce, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Whisk until the sugar completely dissolves.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or large pan. Fry tofu cubes until golden on all sides, then remove. In the same pan, cook the shrimp for 1–2 minutes until pink and cooked through. Set aside with the tofu.
- Add a splash of oil to the wok. Saute onion, garlic, and string beans until fragrant and slightly tender.
- Add noodles to the pan. Pour the sauce over the noodles and stir-fry continuously for about 2 minutes until they absorb the sauce and turn soft.
- Push the noodles and veggies to one side of the wok. Crack the 2 eggs into the clear space, gently scramble until set, then fold into the noodles.
- Toss in the fried tofu, shrimp, toge, and pechay.
- Stir-fry for just 30 to 60 seconds. You want the veggies warm but still crisp.
- Serve and garnish with peanuts, sesame seeds, chili flakes, crispy garlic, fresh toge, and calamansi halves.