Prawn Pad Thai

A delicious popular Thai classic of delicious flat noodles stir fried with prawns, eggs, bean sprouts, tofu and spring onions in a sweet and tangy sauce that has hints of chilli and delicate umami notes and topped off with earthy crushed peanuts. Each bite is truly a flavour explosion of yumminess!

I have not always been a fan of pad thai. I guess I have come across quite a few bad ones, and by that I mean mushy overcooked noodles, pad thai’s that have every ingredient imaginable so are just confused, or the ones that I dislike the most, being overly fishy and pungent with potent fish sauce.

I have a confession to make, I really am not a fan of fish sauce. I just find it lethally potent. But having said that when used correctly it can transform a dish to a whole new level without being fishy. It really is one of those ingredients where a little goes a long way.

In my pad thai I add just a touch to bring a delicious umami hint to the noodles which makes them so flavourful and delicious especially when combined with all the other beautiful ingredients that go in the sauce like Homemade Tamarind Paste and palm sugar.

The best thing about these noodles are how quick and easy they are to make and are perfect for a delicious weeknight dinner. You can also replace the prawns with chicken or even beef or just have it with some deliciously crunchy veg. Whatever you choose, please keep the sauce the same as that’s where the magic is and is the key to my delicious pad thai.

Prawn Pad Thai

March 6, 2019

Servings: 4

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 20 min

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A delicious popular Thai classic of delicious flat noodles stir fried with prawns, eggs, bean sprouts, tofu and spring onions in a sweet and tangy sauce that has hints of chilli and delicate umami notes and topped off with earthy crushed peanuts. Each bite is truly a flavour explosion of yumminess!

By: Chilli and Cakes

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 tbsp shallots, really finely diced
• 2 tbsp garlic, finely crushed
• 1 tsp – 2 tsp red crushed chilli (adjust to suit preferred heat)
• 4 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• ½ tbsp – 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp palm sugar (if not available can use brown or coconut sugar)
• 1 ½ tbsp soya sauce
• Stir fry:
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 20 large prawns, de-veined
• 4 – 6 spring onions, cut into strips
• 2 cups (200g) bean sprouts
• 2 cups (250g) firm tofu, cut into strips and shallow fried
• 300g pad Thai noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
• ¼ cup (30g) crushed peanuts
• Garnish:
• Lime wedges
• Chopped coriander
• Crushed red chilli

Directions

• Step 1 Make sauce: Heat oil and cook the shallots and garlic till soft.
• Step 2 Add the crushed chilli, tamarind paste, ketchup, fish sauce, palm sugar and soya sauce and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
• Step 3 Will need to quickly add the ingredients one after another so helps to have everything ready and nearby. In a large wok, heat the oil on medium high and add the eggs. Quickly mix to scramble.
• Step 4 Once the eggs are half cooked add the prawns and keep stirring.
• Step 5 Once prawns have turned opaque add the spring onions.
• Step 6 As soon as the spring onions start to wilt add the sauce and give quick stir.
• Step 7 Add in the beansprouts and fried tofu strips and give a good mix.
• Step 8 Add the noodles, mixing thoroughly to fully combine everything. As soon as noodles have warmed through take off the heat as you do not want to overcook the prawns.
• Step 9 Sprinkle with crushed peanuts.
• Step 10 Serve with lime wedges, chopped coriander and additional crushed red chilli if desired.
• Step 11 Enjoy x