Traditional Thai Dishes
Thai Pad Thai with Shrimp and Tofu
A Thai Pad Thai full of contrasts: tender rice noodles, juicy shrimp, golden tofu, egg, crunchy sprouts, and a tamarind sauce that balances acidity, sweetness, and saltiness in each bite.
Organize all the ingredients before turning on the wok: the stir-fry is quick and the noodles must finish cooking in the pan without becoming mushy.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓250 g of flat rice noodles 3 to 5 mm
- ✓300 g of raw, peeled, and cleaned shrimp
- ✓150 g of firm tofu
- ✓2 eggs
- ✓150 g of soy sprouts or mung bean
- ✓60 g of garlic chives or Chinese chives
- ✓3 cloves of garlic
- ✓1 shallot
- ✓20 g of dried shrimp
- ✓60 g of toasted peanuts or unsalted peanuts
- ✓4 tablespoons of neutral vegetable oil
- ✓60 ml of tamarind paste or liquid concentrate
- ✓45 ml of fish sauce
- ✓45 g of palm sugar
- ✓60 ml of water for the sauce
- ✓1.5 liters of water at room temperature to soak the noodles
- ✓2 limes
- ✓1 teaspoon of dried chili flakes
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Place the rice noodles in a large container
Place the rice noodles in a large container. Cover them with 1.5 liters of water at room temperature and let them soak according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually between 30 and 45 minutes. They should be flexible, fold without breaking, and retain a firm center. Drain them well and set them aside.
- 02
Cut the tofu into small sticks or cubes and dry it carefully
Cut the tofu into small sticks or cubes and dry it carefully. Finely chop the shallot and garlic cloves. Cut the garlic chives into segments of about 4 cm and reserve a small part for serving.
- 03
Chop the dried shrimp
Chop the dried shrimp. Lightly crush the peanuts, leaving a mixture of fine and coarse pieces. Cut a lime into wedges and squeeze the other. Beat the eggs lightly and dry the raw shrimp with paper towels.
- 04
Prepare the sauce by mixing the tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, 60 ml of water, and the juice of the squeezed lime.
Prepare the sauce by mixing the tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, 60 ml of water, and the juice of the squeezed lime. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Taste the mixture: it should be intense, acidic, salty, and sweet.
- 05
Heat a large wok or wide skillet over medium-high heat
Heat a large wok or wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and brown the tofu for 3 or 4 minutes, turning it to form a lightly crispy surface. Remove it and set it aside.
- 06
Add another tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the shrimp for 1 or 2 minutes
Add another tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the shrimp for 1 or 2 minutes, until they start to turn pink, but are not fully cooked. Remove them to prevent them from drying out.
- 07
Add a third tablespoon of oil
Add a third tablespoon of oil. Add the shallot and cook for about 1 minute. Add the garlic and chopped dried shrimp; stir for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, without letting the garlic darken too much.
- 08
Add the drained noodles and pour the sauce over them
Add the drained noodles and pour the sauce over them. Lift and flip them continuously with two spatulas or tongs so that they absorb the liquid evenly. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, until they are flexible and tender, but not mushy.
- 09
Push the noodles to one side of the wok and add the last tablespoon of oil
Push the noodles to one side of the wok and add the last tablespoon of oil in the free space. Pour the beaten eggs there, wait a few seconds, and stir gently until tender pieces form. Mix them with the noodles before they dry out.
- 10
Return the tofu and shrimp to the wok
Return the tofu and shrimp to the wok. Stir-fry everything for 1 or 2 minutes more, until the shrimp are opaque, curved, and fully cooked.
- 11
Turn off the heat
Turn off the heat. Add the soy sprouts, most of the garlic chives, 40 g of the crushed peanuts, and 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes. Mix for about 30 seconds.
- 12
Taste the Pad Thai
Taste the Pad Thai. Serve immediately and finish with the remaining 20 g of peanuts, the reserved garlic chives, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes, and the lime wedges. Each diner can squeeze lime over their portion to taste.
- Soak the noodles until they are flexible, but still firm in the center; they will finish cooking inside the wok.
- Prepare and chop all the ingredients before starting the stir-fry, as the cooking is very fast.
- Use a large skillet. If there is not enough space, cook the recipe in two batches and divide the ingredients proportionally.
- Add the soy sprouts and garlic chives at the end to preserve their freshness and crunchy texture.
- The concentration of tamarind can vary depending on the brand; taste the sauce before cooking and check that it has a balanced acidic, salty, and sweet flavor.
- Do not overcook the shrimp or noodles: the former can become rubbery and the latter will continue to soften with the residual heat.