Pad Thai

Pad Thai ©Kevin Ashton 2022
Pad Thai ©Kevin Ashton 2022

I am currently teaching a 2 part Thai cookery course online via Zoom, if any UK readers are interested please see the course infromation at the end of the article.

Pad Thai is the national dish of Thailand but like the origins of many other food dishes its origns are disputed. As best as my research could tell, it was actually created in the 1930s in Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram who was the prime minister at the time. The dish was created because Thailand was focused on nation building, so he created this dish using Chinese noodles and called it Pad Thai as a way to galvanize nationalism.

Pad Thai can either be made using chicken or jumbo prawns (shrimp). In my recipe I use prawns and if you make the sauce and soak the noodles ahead of time, making this dish is quick and simple.

Pad Thai Sauce (2-3  portions)

50 grams palm sugar, finely chopped
50 grams tamarind paste
3 Tbsp fish sauce (my recommended fish sauce)
5 Tbsp cold water
3 cloves of garlic chopped
½  Tbsp Vegetable oil
40 grams shallots finely diced

Making the sauce:

  1. In a small saucepan on a medium heat, add 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil, the shallots and garlic and cook until they are soft and slightly coloured, then remove from the saucepan and reserve.
  2. Turn the heat to low and add the palm sugar and stir until it is completely melted.
  3. Now add the fish sauce and stir in well and then 5 TBsp of cold water.
  4. Once it is simmering, add the shallot and garlic mix back in and turn off the heat.
  5. Pour the sauce into a measuring jug (you should end up with 175ml of sauce) and allow to cool.

PAD THAI (2-3 portions)

100 grams rice noodles (choose one that is about 3mm wide)
15 large Raw King prawns (shrimp) shelled and deveined
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
25 grams dried shrimp, finely chopped
125 grams  pressed tofu, cut into 1/2 inch (12mm) pieces
½ tsp of chili flakes, or to taste
2 medium eggs beaten
150 grams bean sprouts washed and dried
20 grams green tops of spring onions cut into thin strips or chives cut into 2 inch lengths
40 grams chopped roasted peanuts
1 lime cut into wedges

  1. Soak the rice noodles in room temperature water for 1 hour and then drain, they are now ready to use or you can store them for up to 3 days in your fridge.
  2. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil over high heat in a wok. When the pan is very hot almost at smoking point, add the shrimp and let sear for 2-3 minutes then turn them over to cook the other side. Cook for 2 more minutes then remove and reserve.
  3. Still on a high heat stir fry the tofu pieces until they are lightly browned on both sides, remove from the wok and reserve.
  4. Turn the heat down to medium, add 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the shallots, garlic, dried shrimp and cook for several minutes until lightly browned.
  5. Now add the soaked noodles, the tofu pieces,  and 2/3 of the Pad Thai sauce and chili flakes, making sure you stir well to mix all the ingredients.
  6. Once all the sauce has been absorbed, push the noodles to the top of the wok, pour the beaten eggs to the empty space. Scramble the eggs gently and let them set about half way. Put the noodles on top of the eggs and let the eggs set completely for another 15 seconds or so.
  7. Turn off the heat, stir everything well and immediately add the bean sprouts, chives/spring onions half of the peanuts and the king prawns and stir again, adding the final 1/3 of sauce.

To Serve

Divide the Pad thai between 2-3 bowls and garnish with a lime wedge, extra bean sprouts, chives or spring onions and the rest of the peanuts.

Chef’s Notes on ingredients

Rice Noodles: It is best to soak rice noodles in room temperature water for 1 hour and then drain so the noodles don’t get over cooked in your wok. Once soaked and drained they can be stored in your fridge for up to 3 days.

Palm Sugar: Palm Sugar is made from the sap of various palm trees either directly from the tree or the palm tree’s flowers as is the case with the coconut palm.  The sap is then slowly cooked down to make it syrup, before being poured into moulds and left to set.

Dried Shrimp: Sold at good Thai supermarkets or online usually in 100g bags. These shrimp are small and dried in the sun and yet they are sold in the refrigerated section of the store.  The have a long shelf life, but once open use within 7 days. I like to divide the bag into 4  bags of 25 grams and freeze what I don’t use. Some dried shrimp need to be washed in water before use to remove some of the salt so follow the instructions.

Tamarind Paste

Tamarind Paste: Make sure your tamarind paste is not too dark, I used this one in the picture from Morrisons. Some tamarind pastes are darker and more bitter therefore, you may need to adjust the amount you use.

Watch out for the Youtube Video coming soon!

Pad Thai ©Kevin Ashton 2022

Please do not republish this recipe and photograph on WordPress or elsewhere without written permission

40 thoughts on “Pad Thai”

  1. Amazing post! Looks wonderful your dish and recepie. Thanks for share Kevin. I is good to see you here. Sending you and yours blessings.
    Have a wonderful time! Keep safe and healthy!
    Thanks for your support.
    Elvira

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Elvira,
      I too am blessed with your support and kindness. My wife and I are well, just being cautious because of Omicron as I guess most of us are. If anything, Covid has taught us to appreciate our friends and family more.
      Best Wishes
      Kevin

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. I am very grateful for your kind words. Being optimistic, this situation will leave us al a great learning, to be more grateful, value and help each other.
        I am happy that you and your wife are healthy.
        Take care, keep safe.
        Thanks again.
        Elvira

        Liked by 2 people

  3. There are a number of restaurants in this area that serve pad thai – my daughter loves it (she is Korean and eats a lot of Asian food). I’m going to send this to her. I haven’t been impressed when I’ve tried it. This looks delicious.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks Noelle, for taking the time to leave a comment. I hope your new year has started well?
      Thanks for your kind words, but it can often come down to being able to getting the right ingredients. I did leave out preserved daikon radish, which many Thailanders like to add to the dish because it was not easy to source. Let me know what your daughter thinks.
      Best Wishes Kevin

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

    1. Thanks Anne and Happy New Year, it is always good to hear from you, I hope all is well in Ontario?
      My online cookery classes developed as a result of Covid and have proved to be popular in the UK. The 90 minute lesssons are a mix of recorded videos that I and my wife produce and live demonstrations. The students seem to like the mix, so they can use the videos as a cook a long aid after the class.

      Like

      Reply

  12. Love Pad Thai. We rarely eat at places that serve it. I will try your recipe and have saved it on my Pinterest page.

    Glad you and your wife are doing zoom classes. I mostly use Instagram stories and my blog for recipes , etc. Haven’t been too active lately, but that will change soon.

    Take care
    Teri

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Hi Amy and good to hear from you.
      I often enjoy stopping by your blog to enjoy your amazing photographs.
      I was admiring the ancient crystal jugs and thinking its a shame when mankind through history loses a skill of how the glass was carved or figure out how it was done.
      Best Wishes
      Kevin

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. Well my life these days is a mixture of freelance chef (occasionally) teaching cooking online and writing course work for that, making videos for my YouTube channel and food writing. I might be going to Paris in late March to report on the European Pastry Cup. 🙂

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