Pad Thai with Shrimp
Tamarind, fish sauce, and palm sugar create Pad Thai's iconic sweet-tangy-savory balance, stretched with rice noodles, egg, and bean sprouts.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp tamarind concentrate or lime juice and rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 8 oz flat rice noodles
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 oz shrimp peeled and deveined
- 6 oz firm tofu cubed optional
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups bean sprouts divided
- 4 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup crushed peanuts
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 20-30 minutes until pliable but still firm. Drain well.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds, then add the shrimp and tofu, cooking for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp turns pink.
- Push everything to one side of the pan, crack in the eggs, and scramble until just set, then mix them into the shrimp and tofu.
- Add the drained noodles and the sauce. Toss continuously for 3-4 minutes, until the noodles are tender and evenly coated.
- Add half the bean sprouts and the green onions, tossing for another minute.
- Remove from heat, top with the remaining bean sprouts and crushed peanuts, and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over top.
Notes
- Reducing the shrimp and adding more tofu, or using only tofu, keeps this dish satisfying while cutting the most expensive ingredient.
- No tamarind concentrate on hand? A mix of lime juice and rice vinegar gets close enough for a weeknight version.
- Soaking the noodles rather than boiling them prevents mushiness, a common Pad Thai mistake that wastes a good batch of noodles.